CANADIAN RUFFED GROUSE. 87 



ing of the eggs, all closely resemble those already de- 

 scribed in the article on the Ruffed Grouse. 



BON AS A UM BELL US TOG ATA. 



Geographical Distrihittton. — Northern New York, and New 

 England, and in Northern Idaho, Oregon, and Washington in 

 the United States, and throughout the Dominion of Canada, to 

 the district of New Caledonia, in British Columbia. 



Adult Male. — Upper parts grayer than in the typical style, 

 the brown markings especially on lower back and rump very 

 conspicuous, and the gray ovate spots rather broadly surrounded 

 with black; upper tail feathers, dark bluish gray, mottled and 

 barred with black; under parts hardly distinguishable from the 

 typical Ruffed Grouse, though perhaps the bars on flanks are 

 usually darker; tail, mostly gray, irregularly barred, and mottled 

 with black, the median feathers inclined to a 5'ellowish brown, 

 and a subterminal black band; large tufts of feathers on each 

 side of neck, smoke-brown edged with metallic green. Measure- 

 ments about the same as those of B. innbellus. 



Adult Female. — With the exception of the neck tufts, which 

 are either wanting or very small, there is no difference observa- 

 ble in the plumage of the female. While the birds found within 

 the limits of distribution given above may properly be consid- 

 ered as representing a well-marked race of the typical Ruffed 

 Grouse, it is very doubtful if the ordinary observer would detect 

 anything in their plumage to indicate that they were different 

 from the more southern species, and would probably consider 

 them as all of the same kind. Specimens vary considerably, and 

 it is not always easy for the expert to recognize the present race; 

 knowledge of the locality from which the bird comes being often 

 essential for a determination of its identity. 



