BONASA UMBELLUS, RUFFED GROUSE. 421 



b. var. umhelloides (Gray Euifed Grouse). 



Tetrao uviMloldes, Dougl., Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi, 18-29, 148. 



Bonasa umheUiis var. umbelloides, Bd., B. X. A. 1858, 925. — Coues, Key, 1872, 235. — Merr., 

 Rep. U. S. Geol. Suiv. Ter. 1872, {599.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iu, 1874, 453, pi. Gl, f. 10. 

 Bonasa imibellus, Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 187i, 181 (Rocky Mountains). 



c. var. sabinii (Red Ruifed Grouse). 



Tetrao sahinii, Dougl., Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi, 1829, 137.— Sw. «S: Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1331,343, 

 foot-note. 



Bonasa saiuiii, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 631.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 224.— 

 Lord, Pr. Arty. Inst. 1864, 123.— Elliot, Mouog. Tetr. pi. —.—Coop., B. Cal. i, 

 1870, .540.— D.VLL & Banx., Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 1869, 287 (Sitka). 



Bonasa umbeUus var. sahinei, Coues, Key, 1872, 235.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 454. ' 



Tetrao umhcUits, Newu., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 94 (Oregon). 



Hab. — Of the typical form, the United States to the high central plains, in wooded 

 districts. Canada, and interior of the fur countries, to Xulato, Alaska (Dall). (But 1 

 am informed by Mr. Ridgway that the British American — even Canadian — specimens 

 are all more or less referable to var. umbelloides, being grayer than those of the United 

 States.) Of var. umbelloides, the Rocky Mountain region. Of var. subiuii, the Pacific 

 province, from the northern border of California to Sitka. 



The Rufi'ed Grouse occurs over only a very limited portion of the 

 Missouri region, by far the greater part of the country not fulfilling its 

 requiremeuts, which are those of an exclusively woodland bird. Dr. 

 Hayden does not mention the species at all, and I never saw it in the 

 Missouri region. It apparently occurs oul\ toward the mouth of the 

 river and in the adjacent country. I have seen no Nebraskau record. 

 In Kansas Mr. Snow says it is "very rare," and it is, no doubt, confined . 

 to the eastern part of the State, where it probably breeds. It is given 

 as abundant in Southern Iowa by Mr. Trippe, and occurs in various 

 parts of Missouri. At the other extreme of the Missouri region it is 

 represented by var. umbelloides', as noted beyond. 



It is somewhat singular that a misapprehension should subsist, even 

 among well-informed persons, in regard to this species. The confusion 

 in the minds of some is, doubtless, partly due to the fact that the bird 

 goes under different names in different parts of the country ; and we 

 are often asked, is it a Partridge, or is it a Pheasant? to which reply 

 may be made that it is neither, but a Grouse. " Pheasant" is a name of 

 a variety of birds of the family Fhasianiclw, indigenous to Southern 

 Asia, and not .represented iu this country at all. The best known spe- 

 cies is that one long ago introduced into England, and there thoroughly 

 naturalized. (The nearest American representative of the Pheasants is 

 the Wild Turkey, which is sometimes included in the family Phosian- 

 idcp.) " Partridge" is the name of a group of small gallinaceous birds, 

 which, like the Phasianida', belong exclusively to the Old World, our 

 American Partridges, so called, being quite a different set of birds. A 

 poverty of our language in the matter of names of various Americau 

 birds has caused them to become known by some term really belonging 

 only to their (real or supposed) nearest Euroi)ean relatives. It would 

 simplify matters nui<;h to discard altogether tlie tern)S " Pheasant" and 

 " Partridge," by which this species is known in, respectively, the North- 

 ern and Southern States, and call it by its proper name of " Kuffed 

 Grouse." The bird itself is unuii.stakable ; no other species has the con- 

 spicuous ruffle of lengthened, broad, sol't, silky feathers on the neck; 

 and the only other species with any feathery neck-appendages is the 

 Pinnated (irouse, where the appendages arc like little wings of narrow, 

 straight, pointetl feathers. The llulfi'd Grouse may he confounded by 

 some witli the Canachi Grouse, or "Spruce Partridge" {Tetrao eana- 

 demis); but this has no lengthened feathers on the neck, and is other- 



