BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 35 



Few birds are of greater utility than this. Its whole life is spent 

 among the crops we cultivate, and its food consists during the summer 

 months almost entirely of the insects which are injurious to plants. Dur- 

 ing the winter it consumes great quantities of weea seeds, a large por- 

 tion of which are gathered from fence corners and other neglected parts 

 of the farm lands. It is from these places that the cultivated fields are 

 regularly seeded down with weeds every season, and the Quail is an im- 

 portant factor in keeping them in check. 



SUBFAMILY TETRAONIN^. (THE GROUSE.) 

 GENUS CAN^CHITES. 



(298) Canada Grouse. (Spruce Partridge.) 



' (Canachites canadensis.) 



Common resident in the northern districts. It formerly ranged much 

 further south than it does at present, but its tameness has led to its ex- 

 termination in the settled parts of the country. 



GENUS BONASA. ' t 



(300) Ruffed Grouse. (Partridge.) 



(Bonasa umbellus.) 



A common resident in woodlands throughout the Province. 

 Three sub-species have been separated from the typical form, all of 

 which are found here with endless intermediate variations. 



GENUS LAGOPUS. 



(301) Willow Ptarmigan. 



(Lagopus lagopus.) 



A regular winter visitor to the northern parts of the Province, some- 

 times coming as far south as Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior. 



Mr. J. H. Ames, of Toronto, has one, which was taken near Whitby 

 on Lake Ontario. 



GENUS TYMPANUCHUS. 



(305) Pinnated Grouse. (Prairie Hen, Prairie Chicken.) 



(Tympanuchus americanus.) 



Formerly a resident of the open country along our south-western 

 border, but now extinct there. 



GENUS PEDICECETES. 



(308) Sharp-tailed Grouse. (Prairie Chicken.) 



(Pedioecetes phasianellus.) 



A scarce resident of the north-western part of the Province. During 

 the last few years several of these birds have strayed into Parry Sound 



