BIRDS OF 



SUBGENUS CANACHITES STEJNEGER. 



121. DENDRAGAPUS CANADENSIS (LINN.). 298. 



Canada Grouse. 



Adult-male : Tail of sixteen feathers, rounded, black, with an orange- 

 brown bar at the end. Prevailing color, black, barred and spotted with 

 white on the lower parts, and above crossed with wavy lines of tawny and 

 grey. Female smaller, variegated all over with black, brown, white and 

 tawny. Tail bar as in the male but less decided. Length, 16-00 ; wing 7 ; 

 tail, 5-50. 



HAB. British America, east of the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska 

 south to Northern Michigan, Northern New York, and Northern New Eng- 

 land. 



Nest on the ground in secluded places, well concealed, built of twigs, 

 leaves, moss and grass. 



Eggs 12 or more ; creamy-brown, sometimes dotted or blotched with a 

 darker shade. 



When young 1 birds of different species are cast loose from 

 parental oversight, and go out into the world on their own 

 account they are often very erratic in their movements, are 

 frequently found in places where they have no business to be, 

 and sometimes thereby come to grief. 



It was from some such cause as this that I once got a speci- 

 men of the Canada Grouse in the Hamilton market. It was in 

 month of October, a farmer had seen this small dark-colored 

 bird in company with some Ruffed Grouse, and following them 

 up, singled it out as something new. They are not known to 

 breed anywhere near Hamilton, but are common in the pictur- 

 esque district of Muskoka, between the Georgian Bay and the 

 Ottawa River, where they breed and are resident. 



They are plump, handsome little birds, but are not equal to 

 the Quail or the Ruffed Grouse for the table. 



GENUS BONASA STEPHENS. 

 122. BONASA UMBELLUS (LiNN.). 300. 

 Ruffed Grouse. 



Sexes nearly alike ; variegated reddish or grayish-brown ; the back with 

 numerous oblong, pale, black-edged spots ; neck-tufts, glossy-black ; below, 



124 



