North American Grouse. 641 



so that the bird stands high and runs with speed and endurance. It 

 wears a ruff on its neck, made by the elongation of a half dozen 

 glossy black feathers on each side of the neck, which it can elevate 

 or depress at pleasure, and from which it takes its name of ruffed 

 grouse. These feathers, as well as its other exterior feathers, are 

 dark brown or chestnut, or ashy gray, varying much with individuals 

 in different localities, those in countries farthest north and east being 

 the darkest and most ashy. In the western birds, the color is more 

 rufous. These differences of color have induced some writers to note 

 three varieties of ruffed grouse ; but it would seem as if these differ- 

 ences of color are produced by local causes, for we often find the same 

 bird on the Pacific coast having a marked variety of color. Authors 

 have named one variety as the Sabine's grouse of Oregon, and 

 another as the Arctic ruffed grouse of the Arctic regions. In that 

 beautiful monograph of the " Tetraonidae," by Elliott, we find illus- 

 trations of both these so called varieties. Without intending to dis- 

 pute their existence, a reference to the description of the Arctic 

 grouse will show from what slight variations a new variety is named. 

 That author specifies the marks that distinguish it as a different 

 variety from the ruffed grouse, and mentions as the principal mark 

 its size, it being one-third smaller ; claiming also that the black 

 hand on the end of the tail is not continuous, but skips the three 

 middle feathers. After reading this description, the writer looked 

 over a game-bag of ruffed grouse killed in the northern part of the 

 State of New York, containing twenty rufous-colored and ashen 

 grouse of many shades ; in two instances the band was scarcely 

 visible in the middle feathers, and in three instances it did not 

 exist. The diminished size in the Arctic region would be an effect 

 of nature generally recognized. 



In the breeding season, the cocks select some fallen tree and, 

 Strutting up and down, beat with their wings, making a muffled drum- 

 ming sound that can be heard for half a mile. The beat is at 

 irr< ^ular intervals, beginning slowly and measuredly, and gradually 

 increasing in quickness, until it ends in a roll. If the bird happens 

 to find a dry, well -placed log, his tattoo of welcome can be heard a 

 mile, and is one of the pleasantcst of woodland sounds. It has the 

 same accelerated pace, and is about the same duration as the call 

 of the raccoon, and is only heard in the day-time, as the raccoon's 

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