64 LIFE HISTORIES OF NOKTII AMEHKJAN BIRDS. 



21. Bonasa umbellus togata (Lixx^us). 



CANADIAN RTFKED GROTSK. 



Tffran tnt/iiliiN LTXX/KUS, Systema Naturae, ed. 12, 17(i(>, v'75. 



Bnnasd unilnJliiN /Dijafa RIDGWAY, Proceedings U. S. National Museum, VIII, 

 1885, 355. 



(B , C , R , C, - U oO<. ) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE: British Columbia. Washington and Oregon, excepting 

 the coast districts, and from Idaho north and eastward to James Bay (Moose Fac- 

 tory), northern and central Maine and Nova Scotia; south occasionally in the moun- 

 tains of New England and northern New York. 



This race inhabits and breeds in the wooded districts from the mouth 

 of the St. Lawrence River, westward through central and northern Maine and 

 thence throughout the British possessions to the eastern slopes of the Cascade 

 Range in Washington and Oregon, as far south at least as Fort Klamath, close 

 to the boundary line of California. On the western slopes of the Bitter Root 

 Mountains it reenters the United States, and is the typical form found through- 

 out northern and middle Idaho, Oregon, and Washington east of the Cascades. 

 Thence it ranges northward along the eastern spurs of the Fraser River and 

 Cariboo Mountains to Fort St. James, Stewart Lake, New Caledonia district, in 

 British Columbia, where it is common to about latitude 5b', and probably still 

 further north in this direction. 



In the central Rocky Mountain" region the range of the Canadian Ruffed 

 Grouse is locally intercepted by the southern extension of that of It. lonlx-llii* 

 unibeUoifle*, the latter being more of an Alpine form, and seemingly restricted to 

 the mountainous sections. 



The habits of this race are very similar to those of the common Ruffed 

 Grouse. Throughout Canada and the British possessions it is better known 

 by the name of Partridge and Birch PartridyjV;- , 



Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, of ftmmto, Canada, lias k.'udly placed his field 

 notes on this race at '^''disposal, and 1 make the following extracts from 

 them: "Every ti.ftj- m;m must be ' acqu;l iuted with the sii.mhition of lame- 

 ness, by \vhie> J m . mv , )h . (lH decoy or tiy to decoy intruders troi.u their nests. 

 This is aa^nvariafcle device of the Partridge, and 1 have no douK iJ.'tit it is 

 ( l uite >accessful with the natural foes of the bird, indeed it is often so wiH 

 m % A dog, as I have often seen, is certain to be misled and duped, and 

 Sere is little doubt that a mink, skunk, raccoon, fox, coyote, or wolf, 

 would fare no better. Imagine the effect of the bird's tactics on a prowl- 

 ing fox; he has scented her as she sets, he is almost upon her, but she has 

 been watching him, and suddenly with a loud 'whirr' she springs up and 

 tumbles a few yards In-fore him. The suddenness and noise with which tin- 

 bird appears causes the fox to be totally carried away; he forgets all his 

 former experience, he never thinks of the eggs, his mind is filled with the 



