THE SOOTY GROUSE. 571 



them, but let some representative and responsible body, like the State Fish and 

 Game Protective Association, decide upon the stock required, and keep the 

 breed true — else we shall have a mere barnvard. 



No. 231. 



SOOTY GROUSE. 



A. O. U. No. 279 a. Dendragapiis obscurus fuliginosiis Ridgw. 



Synonyms. — Blue Grouse. Black Grouse. Wood Grouse. L.\rge Wood 

 Grouse. AIouxt.ain Grouse. Hooter. 



Description. — Adult male: General plumage sooty slate, color deepest, nearly 

 or quite black, on upper back and in ring about throat, lighter, slatv. on breast and 

 belly, feathers mottled with buft'y and tawny on wings, back, and sides, with ashy 

 (lightly) on rump and upper tail-coverts, and with large admixture of white on 

 lower belly and under tail-coverts ; throat heavily flecked with white : shoulder- 

 patches of pure white, more or less concealetl ; subterminal area of tail clear 

 slaty-black : terminal band ashy gray, .30-.60 wide ; comb over eye and concealed 

 spot of naked skin, the tympanum, orange-yellow. Bill black: feet with black 

 soles. Adnlt female: Ground-color of male, everywhere, save on concealed webs 

 of rectrices and quills, more or less mottled by ochraceous and tawny, bluish ash, 

 and white, the mottling of back falling more or less into bars. Young females: 

 Like adult, but feathers of underparts with hammer-headed white shaft-lines. 

 Adult male, length: 20.00-22.00 (508-338.8), sometimes 24.00 (609.6); average 

 of seven males taken at Glacier: wing 9.13 (232.4): tail 6.40 (162.6): bill .80 

 (20.3). Female, length: 17.00-19.00 (431.8-482.6): av. of three Glacier speci- 

 mens: wing 8.46 (214.9) : tail 5.15 (130.8) ; bill .76 (19.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size : dark slaty coloration : tarsi liare below, 

 and tail-coverts not white-banded, as distinguished from Franklin Grouse, larger: 

 tail definitely tipped with white, as compared with black tail of D. 0. richardsonii. 



Nesting. — Xest: on ground, a slight hollow, lined with a few twigs, grasses, 

 and stray feathers, usually under protection of tree, bush clump, or grass. Eggs: 

 6-12, 16 of record, pale creamy-buff, sharply and sparingly freckled with reddish 

 brown. Av. size, 2.06 x U36 (32.3x34.3). Season: May-June, according to 

 altitude ; one brood. 



General Range. — Timbered sections from California north to Alaska, east to 

 Nevada, Idaho, and eastern British Columbia, where shading into D. obscurus 

 and D. 0. richardsonii, respectively. 



Range in Washington. — In coniferous timber thruout the State, resident 

 from sea-level to the limit uf trees. May possibly be replaced by D. 0. richardsonii 

 in the Blue ^fountains, but specimens from the northeastern corner of the State 

 are apparently true fuliginosiis. 



Authorities. — Tetrao obscurus. Sav, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. \'ol. IX. 

 1838, 62U T. C&S. L". Rh. D'. Kb. Ra. B. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of W.) Prov. P. C. BN. E. 



