BOXASA. 197 



Gents BONASA Stephkn's. (Pnijc ISP, pi. LYIIT.. Al,'. 1.) 



Sjicrlt'S. 



Adult male: Above varied with blade and difTerent shades of brown or gra\', 

 the scapulars and wing-coverts with mesial streaks of buff or whitish, the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts with cordate or oval spots of pale graj'ish or dull huffy ; tail gray 

 or rustj-. with several narrow, irregular bands of a paler shade, each immediately 

 preceded by a narrower zigzag blackish bar, and crossed near end by a broad sub- 

 terminal band of black or dark brown, succeeded by a narrower terminal band of 

 mottled light graj-ish, and preceded by a similar band ; neck-tufts varying from 

 deep black to light rufous, the feathers with glossj- terminal margins; throat buffy 

 or ochraceous, sometimes varied with dusky; rest of lower parts mixed white and 

 buffy (the latter chiefly beneath the surface), marked with broad bars of brown, 

 broadest and darkest on flanks; lower tail-coverts bufiy, broadly tipped with white. 

 Adult female : Essentially similar to the male in plumage, but usually smaller, and 

 ■with the neck-tufts less developed. Young: Scapulars, wing-coverts, and feathers 

 of back pale brownish, marked with large black spots and a broad median stripe of 

 buff; secondaries, including terlials, finely mottled pale brown, rather indistinctly 

 barred, at rather wide intervals, with paler buff)- brownish, each bar of this color 

 immediatelj- preceded by a narrower one of dusky, the outer webs of the tertials 

 spotted along the edge with black ; quills dull graj-ish, irregularl}', somewhat ser- 

 rately, edged with dull buffy ; head bufFj- (chin and throat almo.st white), spotted 

 on top with black, the ear-coverts dusky, streaked with pale buffy or dull whitish ; 

 chest ochraeeous-buff, gradually fading into white on breast and other lower parts, 

 all the feathers of chest and breast spotted on edges with blackish, producing a 

 coarsely and irregularly striped appearance ; sides and flanks marked with larger 

 spots of black; tail-feathers mottled grayish, more or less tinged with rusty, and 

 ci'ossed bj' several broad blackish bars separated by narrower graj'ish ones. Downy 

 young: Above chestnut-buff, deepening into pale chestnut on occiput, fore-part of 

 wings, lower back, and rump ; rest of plumage very pale buff, deeper on sides of 

 head, which are marked with a conspicuous black stripe commencing at posterior 

 corner of eye and extending across ear-coverts. Length 15.50-19.00, wing 7.00-7.50, 

 tail 5.50-7.00. Nest on ground in woods. Eggs 6-10 or more, butfy, usually plain, 

 but sometimes slightly speckled with brown. 



rt'. Paler, with brown markings on lower parts rather indistinct (except on flanks), 

 and more or less concealed on breast and belly hx broad whitish tips to the 

 feathers, these brown markings usuallj' without distinct darker edges; bars 

 on flanks usual]}' clear hair-brown. 

 6'. Upper parts mostly or entirely rusty, the tail usually rusty ochraceous. 

 Eggs 1.51 X 1-18. Hah. Eastern United States, west to edge of Great 

 Plains (?), north to Massachusetts (lowlands), south to Georgia (up- 

 lands), Tennessee, Arkansas, etc. 



300. B. umbellus (Linn.). Rnffed Grouse. 



