The Bird Itself 5 



called the "red" phase, while giayish birds are "gray" phase. Every 

 gradation between the extremes of dichromatism may be found. 



Subspecies. Six subspecies are recognized by the 1931 American 

 Ornithologists' Union Check List. The originally named form B. 

 umbellus umbellus, has been described above. B. umbellus togata 

 (Linn.), the Canada ruffed gi'ouse, or northern ruffed grouse 

 (A.O.U. No. 300a), is essentially like B. u. mnhelhis, but seems to 

 average a little larger and heavier. A very large male will sometimes 

 scale over thiity ounces. While this subspecies has a red and gray 

 phase, it never attains the fullness of rufous or cinnamon color of 

 the more southern subspecies. In B. u. togata the tail is generally 

 giayer, the upper parts are a darker and more chestnut brown, and 

 the under parts are more heavily barred. The feathers on the tarsus 

 are somewhat longer than in B. u. umbelltis. 



B. umbelltis thayeri (Bangs), the Nova Scotia ruffed grouse 

 (A.O.U. No. 300d), is similar to togata in being two-phased but is 

 darker gray, dusky or sooty, on the upper parts. Banding of under 

 parts is regular and prominently dusky and more sharply contrasting 

 against the background color. The bill is somewhat longer than in 

 B. u. umbelltis. The color phases are both very dark and not markedly 

 drfferent. 



B. timhelltis umbeUoides (Douglas), the gray ruffed grouse 

 (A.O.U. No. 300b), is usually a gray-to-slatish colored bird with 

 very little brown on the upper parts, although red ruffs and brown 

 tails occur occasionally. From mid-back to the top of the tail it is 

 veiy slate gray, the arrow-head spots on the back feathers are 

 gray with black edging, and the tail delicately vemiiculated with 

 iDlack. Beneath it is whitish with a tawny caste. There are several 

 brownish crossbars on each feather, largest and most sharply de- 

 fined on the sides. The flank and vent feathers are nearly clear 

 white and the foreneck and scapulars are a varied mixture of grays, 

 browns, whites and rufous shades. The wing covert feathers gener- 

 ally have white shaft lines. The female is inclined to be more rufous 

 than the male. The feathers on the tarsus are long, sometimes extend- 

 ing to the base of the toes. 



B. umbellus sabini (Douglas), the Oregon (or red) ruffed grouse 

 (A.O.U. No. 300c), is a large dark race. There is more blackish to 

 the brown and tlie bruwiis often are a marked chestnut shade. Ac- 



