PTARMIGAN CLASSIFICATION 249 



grouse. The Richardson, Dendyagapns obscurus 

 richardsoniiy is a mountain bird, found on the east 

 of the Cascade Mountains and through the Rockies. 

 The stock is abundant. 



The Canadian rough grouse, Bonasa iimbellus 

 togata. It is akin in habits to the Richardson, 

 and occupies similar regions, but found as low down 

 as Chiliwack, and along the woods of the Harrison 

 River, where I found it during my fishing expedition. 

 The sooty grouse, Dendyagapns obscunis fuliginosus, 

 makes its home among the islands along the coast. 

 It is found on Vancouver and the Queen Charlotte 

 Islands, all along the shore and the region generally 

 west of the Cascade Mountains. 



The Oregon rough grouse, Bonasa umbellus suhiniy 

 is similar in habits to the sooty grouse, and frequents 

 the same localities. The grey-ruffed grouse, Bo-nasa 

 umbellus jimbelloides^ also inhabits the Rocky Moun- 

 tain districts, Beaver Pass and Okanagan, on the 

 mountain ledges. 



Ptarmigan are classified amongst grouse, and are 

 only made a distinct species on account of their 

 white plumage. There are three classes. The 

 willow ptarmigan, Lagopus lagopus, the rock 

 ptarmigan, Lagopus rupestyis, and the white-tailed 

 ptarmigan, Lagopus leucuyus. The latter is differ- 

 entiated by retaining its white tail at all seasons. 

 All these species have a summer dress of varying 

 tints, ochre and tawny, finely undulated, the wings 



