THE CANADA GROUSE. 499 



of America, though slightly larger, probably is not specifi- 

 cally different from that of Europe. 



THE CANADA GROUSE. 



Nova Scotia is fairly within the habitat of the Spruce 

 Partridge or Canada Grouse (Tetrao canadensis) ; and it may 

 be found there, commonly, in all suitable places evergreen 

 woods and swamps, and uncleared tracts of more or less 

 barren land. As with the Grouse generally, this species is 

 not migratory, its habitat being from the extreme north of 

 New England to Labrador northward, and to the Rocky 

 Mountains and Alaska westward. About 16.00 long, the 

 general color of the male is black, the under parts being 

 more or less barred and spotted with clear white, the 

 upper parts waved with gray or reddish-brown, and the 

 quills variegated with light brown; the black tail is ter- 

 minally banded with bright reddish-brown; naked space 

 over the eye, bright vermilion; legs feathered to between 

 the toes. Female a little smaller, the black being less clear, 

 and much variegated with brown and white, the tail band 

 less bright. 



This is a bird of gentle, retired ways. Never does it 

 make itself common about fields and pastures, piping from 

 fence-stakes, like the Quail; nor w r ill it expose itself in the 

 open and by the roadside, even as much as the Ruffed 

 Grouse. It is the aristocrat of its family, stepping daintily 

 on its moss-carpeted and deeply-shaded apartments, feed- 

 ing in summer on such berries as may be found in the 

 forest, and in winter being content with even the leaves of 

 the evergreens. Its flesh, being dark and unsavory, is not 

 much in favor. 



Its simple nest is generally well concealed on the ground, 

 and contains some dozen quite pointed eggs, 1.65 1.70 x 



