GROUSE. 



407 



metallic bars. Back, minutely speckled with black, and 

 streaked witli light grayish spots, which are black-edged. 

 Tail, gray, with a broad subterminal black band ; elsewhere 

 paler, or reddish, barred and finely vermiculated with black. 

 Primaries, marked with whitish on the outer webs. Under 

 parts, tawny, becoming white behind. Throat, unmarked, or 



Fig. 20. Ruffed Grouse, 



slightly waved; breast, with dull brown bars, dark-edged 

 above ; sides, with umber bars.* The tail usually has eigh- 

 teen feathers, and is rounded, as in the " Prairie Hen," but 

 is considerably longer. The auriculars (or ear-feathers) are 

 long and loose. 



h. The eggs average 1.65 X 1-25 of an inch, vary from 



* The coloration of the Ruffed 

 Grouse is variable, the tints varying' 

 from reddish to grayish. So in the 

 Quail, the chestnut is often restricted, 

 particularly in the females. In refer- 



ence to the fifteenth line of p. 40S, it 

 is to he remarked that the Scotch 

 Capercailzie is called the ' ' Wood 

 Grouse." [From the appendix (p. 444) 

 of the first edition.] 



