404 GAME-BIRDS. 



a. About sixteen inches long. $ , black ; waved with a 

 paler shade above, and extensively edged on the breast and 

 sides with white. " Eye-brow," red. Head and wings, with 

 a few white markings. Tail, usually of sixteen feathers, 

 and broadly tipped with orange brown. Brown markings 

 sometimes occur elsewhere in the male, and in the female are 

 persistently numerous. 



b. The eggs, which are laid upon the ground, are de- 

 scribed by Mr. Samuels as " of a beautiful yellowish buff 

 color, with spots and blotches of two shades of brown : one 

 a purplish brown ; the other, a burnt sienna." In size they 

 differ but little from those of the Ruffed Grouse. 



c. The Canada Grouse are common residents in many 

 parts of northern New England, especially northern Maine, 

 but in Massachusetts they are of accidental occurrence, and I 

 find records of only two captures in this State, one " in the 

 hemlock woods of Gloucester, in September, 1851, another at 

 Roxbury." These birds are rare among the White Moun- 

 tains, so far as I know, as I have but occasionally seen them 

 there. Their chief haunts are evergreen swamps, where, if 

 approached by man, they sometimes exhibit a surprising 

 tameness, the mother of a young brood not hesitating boldly 

 to defend her charge. Their habits are essentially like those 

 of our " Partridges," who likewise, in wild places, if dis- 

 turbed while with their young, often fly at the intruder, gen- 

 erally attacking his feet, after which they immediately retreat 

 to collect the little ones, who have meanwhile hidden. 



d. The Canada Grouse, like their better known relatives, 

 drum loudly ; at least I have strong reasons to believe so, 

 without having seen them in the act. Their ordinary note is 

 a chuck. 



II. TYMPANUCHUS. 



A. CUPIDO. Pinnated Grouse. "Heath Hen." In 

 New England, formerly somewhat common, but now almost 

 or quite extinct.* 



* Since the above was written the Hens" of the Western States. It is 

 Eastern bird has been shown to be supposed to be the original Tetrao cu- 

 specifically distinct from the "Prairie pido of Linnaeus, which was based on 



