56 Allen's naturalist's library. 



drumming with the wings, resembhng distant thunder, mean- 

 while dropping down slowly to the spot from whence he started, 

 to repeat the same thing over and over again." Capt. Ben dire 

 gives another description of the drumming: "The Canada 

 Grouse performs its ' drumming ' upon the trunk of a standing 

 tree of rather small size, preferably one that is inclined from the 

 perpendicular, and in the following manner. Commencing near 

 the base of the tree selected, the bird flutters upward with 

 somewhat slow progress, but rapidly beating wings, which pro- 

 duce the drumming sound. Having thus ascended fifteen or 

 twenty feet, it glides quietly on wing to the ground and repeats 

 the manoeuvre. Favourite places are resorted to habitually, 

 and these 'drumming trees' are well-known to observant woods- 

 men. I have seen one so well worn upon the bark as to lead 

 to the behef that it had been used for this purpose for many 

 years." 



Eggs. — Seven to thirteen, sometimes more. Similar to those 

 of L. teirix, but smaller, and the ground-colour sometimes red- 

 dish-buff; the markings, also, are generally heavier, some of 

 the spots being confluent and forming blotches. Average 

 measurements, 175 inch by i'25. 



II. franklin's grouse, canachites franklini. 

 Tetrao franklini^ Dougl. Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 139 (1829); 

 Swains, and Richards. Faun. Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 348, pi. Ixi. 



(1831). 

 Canace franklini^ Elliot, Proc. Acad. Philad. 186^, p. 23; id. 



Alonogr. Tetraon. pi. x. (1865). 

 Dendragapus fraiiklinii^ Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. B. p. 56 



(1892). 

 Canachites franklini^ Ogilvie-Grant, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxii. 



p. 71 (1893). 

 Adult Male. — Like the male of C c^inadensis^ but the upper 

 tail-coverts tipped with white; no terminal rufous band to the 

 tail ; chin and throat black. 



