Canada Grouse 287 



sixteen inches long, the plumage in the male being transversely barred with 

 blackish and grayish above, and black beneath, with a black border to the 

 throat and many of the feathers with broad white tips; the tail is black. In 

 the female the upper parts are barred with black, gray, and buff, while the 

 lower parts are whitish, broadly barred with black. The species are separated 

 largely on the marking of the tip of the tail, in the Canada Grouse (D. cana- 

 densis] this being rufous, while in Franklin's Grouse (D. franklinii) it is black 

 to the extreme tip. The handsome little Canada Grouse, or Spruce Partridge, 

 as it is often called, ranges throughout northern North America east of the 

 Rocky Mountains from the northern New England States to Alaska, fre- 

 quenting, as its second name implies, the coniferous forests of the northern 

 zone, and is usually a resident wherever found. It feeds largely upon the 

 tender shoots and leaves of the spruce and tamarack, and is quite at home 

 in the dense groves and swamps of these trees. In summer, however, it con- 

 sumes quantities of berries of various kinds, especially the crowberry, and the 

 several kinds of blueberries. In common with a few other Grouse it has the 

 habit of "drumming," that is, the production of a peculiar rumbling sound that 

 has been likened to the sound of distant thunder. The manner in which this 

 sound is produced has given rise to no little speculation, for as the "drummer" 

 is an exceedingly wary bird, it is a matter of difficulty to catch him in the act. 

 It is popularly supposed that the sound is made by the male beating his wings 

 on a hollow log, but this is undoubtedly incorrect, as the following quotation 

 from a correspondent of Bendire shows: "After strutting back and forth for a 

 few minutes, the male flew straight up, as high as the surrounding trees, about 

 fourteen feet; here he remained stationary an instant, and while on suspended 

 wing did the drumming with the wings, resembling distant thunder, meanwhile 

 dropping down slowly to the spot from where he started, to repeat the same 

 thing over and over again." In other cases they select a tree known to woods- 

 men as a "drumming tree," with the trunk somewhat inclined, and, to quote 

 from Mr. Manly Hardy, one of our best-known observers, the bird, commencing 

 near the base of the tree selected, flutters upward with somewhat slow progress, 

 but rapidly beating wings, which produce the drumming sound. The "drum- 

 ming trees" are resorted to for several seasons and often become quite smooth 

 and polished by constant use. The nest of this species is a depression by the 

 side of a log or stump and usually contains from nine to thirteen eggs. Franklin's 

 Grouse, found in the northern Rocky Mountains mainly north of the United 

 States arid westward to the coast ranges, is a rather rare bird, except in a few 

 favored localities. It frequents especially the edges of swampy mountain 

 valleys, or groves and thickets of spruce and tamarack along small streams. 

 It is usually very tame and unsuspicious, permitting itself to be knocked over 

 with a stick or stone or even taken in the hand, whence it is often called the 

 "Fool Hen." Its nesting habits appear to be similar to those of the last species. 

 Prairie Hens and Heath Hen. Passing over the Sharp- winged Grouse 

 (Falcipennis falcipennis} of northeastern Asia, which resembles the Canada 

 Grouse but differs in having the outer flight-feathers narrowed and sickle- 



