io8 



GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, 



both by Indians and whites, and large numbers are ob- 

 tained by hitting them with sticks and stones, at throw- 

 ing which the Indians are very expert. The nest of 

 this species resembles that of the Canada Grouse, merely 

 a shallow depression in the ground or moss, lined with 

 leaves or grass, and the eggs resemble exactly those of 

 its relative, but are slightly smaller. A single brood is 

 raised in a season, and nesting commences the latter part 

 of May or beginning of June. This species and the 

 preceding one are very much alike in the general color 

 of their plumage, but Franklin's Grouse can always be 

 recognized by the broad white bars at the end of the 

 upper tail-coverts, and the tail itself is without the white 

 edging, and more inclined to a square shape or one only 

 slightly rounded. In size the two forms are about equal. 



CANACHITES FRANKLINI. 



, ;!i'': !S| 



Geographical Distribution. — Rocky Mountains from North- 

 west Montana, through Oregon and Washington, and the coast 

 range of British Columbia to Alaska. 



Adult Male. — Upper parts, similar to the Spruce Grouse, but 

 with the upper back, scapulars, and wings of a brown hue, the bars 

 and mottling being of that color; no white central streaks on the 

 wings, but some of the tertials tipped with white; upper tail- 

 coverts very broadly tipped with white, and this is a conspicuous 

 character of this species; the entire under parts are like those of 

 its Eastern relative, but the white beneath and on the sides of 

 the throat is narrower and much less prominent; tail, almost 

 square, and of a uniform sooty brown, nearly black on the apical 

 half; bill, black. Total length, about 15I inches; wing, 7i; 

 tail, 5. 



Adult Female. — Upper parts, g ay, barred with black and 

 ochraceous, narrowest on head and neck, broadest and most con- 

 spicuous on upper part of back; upper tail-coverts ochraceous, 

 mottled with black and tipped with white; innermost second- 

 aries with a central line and tip, white; primaries, dark brown; 



