GAME BIRDS AND LARGER NON-GAME BIRDS 161 
range formerly extended farther eastward.* As this re- 
gion forms the extreme northern limit of its range, it is 
with the greatest difficulty that this useful little bird is 
holding its own; in the spring of 1917 it was feared by many 
that the previous severe winter had destroyed the remnant 
of what was formerly a fairly abundant bird on the farms 
of southwestern Ontario. It is unfortunate that a bird so 
useful as the bob-white from the agricultural standpoint 
should be considered a game-bird. As a destroyer of insect 
pests it is one of the best friends the farmer has, and how 
much poorer the countryside is when it lacks the bob- 
white’s cheery call. The bob-white should no longer be 
listed as a game-bird, attractive as it is to sportsmen, but 
it should be given absolute protection on account of its 
value to agriculture. Under present conditions its continued 
existence will not be possible if it is hunted as game, and the 
sportsman who would be a party to its destruction is un- 
worthy of the name. 
GROUSE 
The different groups of grouse and ptarmigan are well 
represented in Canada. The following may be taken as 
representing the chief groups: 
Richardson’s Grouse-—With the exception of the sage-hen 
_ this species and its related races are the largest of the grouse 
family. They may be found from the eastern foot-hills of 
the Rocky Mountains through the mountains to the Coast 
Mountains, and northward to the Yukon and the Mackenzie 
regions. 
Spruce Grouse.—The spruce forests from the Atlantic 
coast to the Yukon are the home of this species, which, in 
many parts of its range, has suffered on account of its com- 
parative tameness. 
* Quail have been successfully introduced into British Columbia, and are 
thriving in the southern part of Vancouver Island, 
