406 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 84 



CIRCUS HUDSONIUS (Linnaeus) 



Marsh Hawk 

 One was seen near Ashton on October 31. 



PANDION HAIJAETUS C ARGUN ENSIS (Gmelin) 



OSPRET 



One was seen near Dunlow on April 22. 



Family FALCONIDAE 



FALCO PEREGRINUS ANATUM Bonaparte 



Duck Hawk 

 One was recorded at Kanawha Falls on May 4. 



Family TETRAONIDAE 



BONASA UMBELLUS TOGATA (Linnaeus) 



Canada Ruffed Grouse 



The ruffed grouse is widely distributed through forested sections 

 of the State particularly in the mountains. Early in the morning of 

 September 30, 1935, I|found one in the highway near Cherry Grove, 

 south of Circleville, that had been killed by flying into a car. Others 

 were collected in the Cranberry Glades and on Middle Mountain 

 northeast of Durbiu. In the Biological Survey collection there are 

 two taken in the Cranberry Glades on November 24 and 26, 1909, by 

 E. A. Preble. Grouse were observed near "Wliite Sulphur Springs, 

 April 18; at Fourteen, April 29; Gilboa, May 5; Cranberry Glades, 

 May 9 and June 10 and 11; Persinger, May 16; Thornwood, July 10 

 and September 28, 1936, and January 1, 1937; Spruce Knob, Septem- 

 ber 30, 1935, and September 18 to 23, 1936; Wilhams River, October 

 7; Flat Top Mountain near Ghent, October 14; and near McCauley, 

 October 13, 1935, and April 19, 1936. 



After careful comparison of a good series of eastern ruffed grouse, 

 I have identified the West Virginia birds as of the subspecies togata, 

 though they have been assumed previously to be the typical form 

 umhellus. Following is a summary of my understanding of the 

 characters of the two forms under consideration: 



Bonasa umhellus umbellua 



Dark markings on lower surface much reduced so that the breast 

 appears very light, almost white; under tail-coverts whiter. 



The typical form of the ruft"ed grouse, Bonasa umhellus umhellus ^ 

 is based on Edwards' account of the "Ruffed Heath-cock or Grous."' 



' Tetrao umhellus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 275. 

 » Gleanings of natural history, 1758, p. 79, pi. 248. 



