North American Birds Eggs. 



139 





[Brownish liiiff.) 



298b. Alaskan Spruce Grouse, ('(tiutcliifcx c(iiia(J<iisix osf/aodi. 



Uauixr. Alaska. 



This variety is practically the same as the preceding, the birds not always 

 beinij distinguishable; the nest and eggs are the same as the Canada Grouse. 



298c. Hudsonian Spruce Grouse. OuKtrhifcs raiKidcn^i.s (•(tnacc. 



iJange. — Labrador and tlic Hudson Bay I'egion. 



Like the last, tins variety is hardly to l)e distinguished from tlic Canada. 

 Its nesting habits and eggs are the same. 



299. Franklin Grouse. ('(iiKtchifcs frtinkliiiii. 



Range. — Nortliwestern Lnited States anil British Colunil)ia. 



This species is very similar to the Canada 

 Grouse, the most apparent difference being the 

 absence of the brownish gray tip to the tail, 

 and the upper coverts are broadly tipped with 

 white. This species, which is very abundant 

 in the northwest, has the same stupid habits f)f 

 the eastern bird. During the mating season, 

 the males of both this and the preceding species 

 have the same habit of "drumming" that the 

 Ruffed Grouse has. Their nests are placed on 

 the ground under bushes of tir trees and from 

 •eight to fifteen eggs are laid. These are brown- 

 ish buff in color, spotted and blotched with 

 rich brown. Thej' are very similar to the eggs of the Canada Grouse. Data. — 

 Moberly Peak, Cascade Mts., British Columbia, June 9, 1902. 7 eggs in a 

 slight hollow on the ground. Collector, G. F. Dippie. 



300. Ruffed Grouse. Bonana uinbcUiis. 



Range. Eastern United States from Minnesota to New England; south to 

 Virginia. 



The Ruffed Grouse is "King of the Game Birds" 

 in the east, where it has been hunted so freely, 

 that it has become very wary and requires a skill- 

 ful marksman to bring it down. Because of the 

 cutting off of all heavy timber, and the vigor with 

 which they are pursued by hunters, they are be- 

 coming very scarce in New England, and within 

 a few years they will probably be practically ex- 

 tinct in that section. Their favorite resorts are 

 lieavily timbered woods or low growth birches. 

 Their nests are hollows in the leaves under fallen 

 trees, beside some stump or concealed among the 

 small shoots at the base of a large tree. The bird 

 «its very close, but when she does fly, goes with the familiar rumble and roar, 

 which always disconcerts the novice, the wind created by her sudden flight 

 generally causing the leaves to settle in the nest and conceal the eggs. They 

 lay from eight to fifteen eggs, of a brownish buff color, sometimes with a few 

 faint markings of brown, but generally unspotted. Size 1.55 x 1.15. The young 

 of all the Partridges and Grouse are born covered with down and follow their 

 parents soon after leaving the shell. The adults are very skillful in leadine 

 enemies away from their young, feigning lameness, broken wings, etc. The 

 nesting habits and eggs of the three sub-species are precisely the same in every 

 respect as those of this bird. 



flJrowiiisli tnitty. 



^j^ 



