22 Vnivi rsity of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 10 



and frequenting dense thickets of willows or crab-apples. They 

 lay close and were hard to Hush without a dog, when startled 

 usually flying up to some low limb, where they remained in utter 

 disregard of approaching men or dogs. 



The male birds were heard drumming about Parksville and 

 Errington in April and May, and at Beaver Creek in June; but 

 not thereafter. A female shot near Parksville on April 27 had 

 an egg in the oviduct. At Beaver Creek broods of downy young 

 began to appear during the second week in June, and were seen 

 daily thereafter, for the species was numerous at this point. The 

 old birds were fearless in defense of their broods, and often the 

 first intimation of the proximity of a grouse family was the 

 sudden onslaught of the perturbed mother, who did not hesitate 

 to hurl herself at any intruder, while her brood effaced themselves 

 in the underbrush. Very young birds usually lay perfectly still 

 when alarmed, and. if visible, suffered themselves to be picked up. 

 hut as soon as their wings could support them they flew to some 

 distance when startled. 



September birds were all molting, and it was not until near 

 the end of the month that any were secured with the rectrices 

 grown out to their full length. Must of the immature birds 

 taken during this month were stubby-tailed and with the head 

 and neck still mostly in juvenal plumage. A young one shot on 

 September 4 was still almost entirely in the juvenal plumage. 



The dichromatism of the species is very apparent in the series 

 collected, the gray and the red-colored birds being conspicuously 

 different. Those in the gray phase are quite uniform in color 

 and markings, but the reddish birds show considerable variation. 

 The former all have black ruffs, and gray tails with a black 

 subterminal band. Of the reddish birds some have red ruffs, 

 some black, and others are variously intermediate. Some have a 

 gray tail with a red band, some a red tail with a dark hand, and 

 one a red tail with a darker red band. These different styles of 

 coloration are not indicative of age. sex. or season, for both phases 

 are represented among adults and immatures of both sexes. 



The stomachs and crops of birds collected in September con- 

 tained some berries, but were filled for the most part with fern 

 leaves and clover. A young bird shot in a tidal meadow on the 



