220 TETRAO CANADENSIS. 



GENUS I. TETRAO. THE WOOD GROUSE. 



Gen. Cii. Posterior marijin of sternum, between indentations, quite loidc, slit/ht/ij indented in the middle, with the eiy^ 

 cs rounded. Tip of kee/, projecting we/t forward. Costa/process, tapering to a rounded point. Tarsus, fully feathered;. 

 as is also tlu; spaces between the toes, but the latter are naked. No elongated feathers on neck. 



iMfuiliei's uf this genus inhabit lieavily wooded country, usually living among evergreens. They are all dark in color. 

 There is but oae species within our limits. 



TETRAO CANADENSIS. 

 Spruce Grouse. 



Tetrao Canadensis Linn., Syst. Nat. I; 1766,274. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cii. Form, robust. Size, not large. Tongue, trianT;ular in form, fleshy, and pointed. Coeea, 17.00 long, small 

 at base, measuring about 'lO in diameter fir 3'75, then suddenly enlarging to about "SO in diameter and cimtiiiues t' is size 

 to the blind end, the termination ofwliich is rounded. It is greenish in c^lor, with eight longitudinal lines .fa lig!:ter 

 shade. Number of tail feathers, sixtpen. Se.'ies, not similar. 



Color. Adult male. Black throughout, excepting wing- w!;ieh arc dark-b'own, b-'Ciming muj' lighter i n the tips 

 of necondarips and outrr edge of pviuiaries. Upper surface, excepting tail, and collar, f n( h liandod wiLh rcddis' -brt wii 

 and ashy blu;, t le lute.- pra.l > uinating S ) its on tertiirie-, line of spo:s be!, in 1 ey;', line al mg c:ce!;s. m ctir:g(in t!.e 

 throat, white; bandaeros- brea-t and al);lomen, under tail coverts, sides, H.iiilc-, and under wing c ivens, als : ban. , d with 

 ■white, and the feathers of t'le three last named portions are finely barred witli asliy-lmjwn. The t.nl is limped witli yel- 

 lowish-brcnvn, and the tibia and tarsus are dusky, mottled with wliite. 



Adult female. Landed r.b.ive, including tail, with yedowi-h-rrd, a by-b!uc, andlilr.el;, wit' t' c w' i;e I:la'.^.i:lg^; f tlic 

 male, on thcscapularies. j^elow. banded as far as the breast, v ith yillcwisL-red t.ndl latk; ;cin;iin:r£ und: i j t: i.s, ],..::^.- 

 ed with ye:! i wish- rod, hi i :k, ill w at.?, la kjiiI p-op ir;ija-!. 



Young. Are muc'.i redder ab.ive and below than the adult; this is especially notiieable in t!ie female, wlieve there is 

 nearly as much red lielow the breast as above it. 



Nestlings. Are at fir tlincil, mottled, and spotted with yellowish-rod, blaek, and wliitc, both stxc< being I'rnsiii.i'ar, 

 but they soon a'-sume the plumages hv^t deserihed. Naked space over tlie eye, scarlet. Iris, IjUI, and foet, dark-brown Im 

 all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Tlie;c i . a litt'.e \ a •.■;;: tioa in ])lumage but this species m-y lie readily l.nown in all stages, by the prcd.minr.ting dark 

 colors as de-cribcl. Dis'ribatod, as ac mutant resident, from N.irthK-n New England to the Arctic Circle. 



DIMEXSIONS. 



Average measurements of male specimen- fi-jin ]Main3. Length, 15.50; stretch, '2lbQ; win;, CSC; tail, 4'"'3; liill, 

 •63; tarsus, l-S.":. Longo-t specimen, 10-00; greatest extent of wing, 22-00; longest wing, G 7,"); tail, 4-~."); bill, '70; t;irsus,, 

 1-50. Shortest spe i;uen, l.'i-OO; smallest cxtentofwing, 21-00; shortest wing, (>-00: tail, 40l); bill, -55; taisus, 1-;J5. 



DESCRII'TTON OF NESTS AND EG(;S. 



Nr.-,is, id.'.e.^d o;i tiic ground; they ar.; not clab not ; sti-uctures, being oiuposed of twigs, loaves, moss, or any ot!:er 

 convcr.ient iiianri 1. 



Eggs, f-oni ei'il;l 1 1 fou: teen in number, nbl mg oval in form, deep buff in color, spotted and splashed with brown of 

 varying shades. Dimensrnns fnnu l-i;Ox 1'6B to r22x 1-75. 



IIAIUTS. 



Tliose Avho haA'e visited the dark evergreen forests of Northern New Engl.-ind, which are 

 mtiinly composed of gitmt spruces and hemlocks that rtiise their huge briiuchcs high in air 

 but that ;!rc so clojcly interhiced as to nearly exclude every vestiye of sun-light, thus the 

 ground about the roots of the trees is in perpetual shadow, yet vegetation thrives in (lii.s- 

 litilf-light, and oven flowers l)looni in profusion tit the proper season, enliveiui!g v.'ith tlieir 

 varied hues a scene Avhich otherwise wouLl appear strikingly gloomy; those who htive seen 

 ull this, I say, ciui form some idea how the Spruce Grouse live, for this is thciv home. 



