86 THE SPECIES— ITS TAXONOMY, RANGE, BIOLOGY, & ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



WEIGHT 



Seasonal Trknd — Differences Between the Sexes — Age Differences — Regional 

 AND Yearly Differences — Extremes of Grouse Weight — Weight as an Indicator 

 of Health 



MEASUREMENTS 



VOICE 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



Grouse as a Food — The Importance of Food Preferences — Budding of Fruit 



Trees — Grouse As a Game Crop — Sale of Breeding Stock 



SUMMARY 



The lufTed "rouse is a hrovvii fciwl-like woodland bird about the size of a bantam hen, 

 possessing a dark. j)artially concealed ruff on each side of the neck, and a fan-shaped tail 

 having a broad dark subterminal hand. (p. 38). 



While exceptions are frequent, males usually have tails over six inches in length, females less; 

 the subterminal tail band is normally unbroken in the male, but interrupted on the central 

 tail feathers in the female; the light spots on the lower back and rump feathers tend to 

 be arrow-shaped in the male, less distinct in the female, (p. 45). 



Remains of ruffed grouse indistinguishable from the modern form have been found in deposits 

 at least 25,000 years old in caves in Pennsylvania, Maryland. Tennessee and ('alifornia. 

 (p. 46). 



Although known to the Indian from time innncmorial and lo the while man from the early 

 sixteenth century, the first published description of the species was in Edwards' "Glean- 

 ings of Natural History" I London 1758), based on a specimen from eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania, (p. 46). 



Its range is greater than that of any otlier non-migratory North American game bird, extend- 

 ing from coast to coast across Canada and into Alaska, as well as south in tiie mountains 

 to central Utah and nortliern Georgia, (p. 48). 



In New York it is universally distributed with minor exceptions such as metropolitan areas 

 and certain Adirondack mountain lops. It is most abundant in the abandoned farm 

 areas south of the Moha\\k and Ontario Plain, as well as in various locahties east of 

 the Hudson and about llie pi ri|)liery of the Adirondack forest. I p. 561. 



Throughout the species two d.loi phases— red and gray — are found irrespective of age or 

 sex. (p. 57). 



On one bird over fmir thousand feathers were counted, exclusive of dnwn and hair-feathers, 

 (p. 60). 



In a warm-blooded animal the vital pro<esses. especially produclion of body heat, heart action 

 and respiration, must constantly adjust themselves to changes in environmental condi- 

 licitis if the animal is to maintain its vitality. I p. Ii] ). 



