16 SCIENCE. 
and texture precisely so. All lie in the path of eskers. 
But they are differently connected with the eskers. The 
deposits south of Mahwah simply lie in the course of the 
Ramsey’s esker, but are separated completely from it. 
The junction deposits are connected directly with the 
eskers, but show decided differences of level as compared 
with the associated eskers. The Allendale junction de- 
posit stands forty feet higher than either of the two main 
esker branches which unite in it. 
In the third type we have the esker itself gradually 
widening out into a broad thick mass without marked 
change of level. In this case we have also the subse- 
quent narrowing of the deposit to its original esker pro- 
portions. 
If the first cr Mahwah type alone were considered, 
perhaps the most natural inference regarding its gen- 
esis would be that a rapid stream had here debouched 
into the still water and there built the delta-like deposits. 
Yet even in this group, which includes some half 
dozen of these gravel bodies, are several that can 
hardly be so accounted for, and in each of the other 
types itis clear that the material was brought to its 
present position by ice-walled streams. ° 
In the case of the junction deposits it seems to this 
writer that a satisfactory explanation of their origin 
may be found by supposing that these deposits mark 
the points at which one or more crevasses in the ice in- 
tersected eskers. 
mark the position of the intersecting crevasses. 
That all these gravel deposits were made near the ice 
front is probable from the fact that a little farther 
south all the gravel is spread out in sheets. It is there- 
fore reasorable to suppose that there were openings in 
the ice-front, bay-like in character, and that there were 
other openings within the ice border less directly con- 
nected with the open water along the ice border.” 
The suggestion is offered, therefore, that these vari- 
ously disposed bodies of esker material mark the places 
where openings of greater or less size had been formed 
by various agencies not far from the ice front and in 
the path of the ice rivers. 
The streams would pour their contents into these 
openings. The water would escape, but the sand and 
gravel would accumulate in the openings until it 
either filled them completely or until new avenues were 
opened for its onward movement. 
On the final melting of the ice the deposits of sand 
and gravel would be left resting on the till beneath, 
whether the streams which brought the material were 
subglacial or englacial. 
COLORATION OF THE RUFFED GROUSE. 
BY J. H. BOWLES, PONKAPOG, MASS. 
ALTHOUGH much has been written upon the two 
plumages in which our screech owl (Megascops asio) has 
been found, comparatively little has been printed 
concerning the variety of colors worn by the ruffed 
grouse (Bonasa wmbellus), which seems surprising, as it 
is a favorite game bird. My experience has been with 
the birds of eastern New England (from Massachusetts 
northward), but Iam inclined to think that the condi- 
tions are the same in other portions, for like the screech 
owl there is a red and a gray plumage. 
Perhaps I can best explain my meaning by selecting 
three birds from a bag taken in this vicinity, as they 
show to perfection the three different phases seen in 
Be species, viz.: gray, brown or red, and interme- 
late. 
2It is not meant here to assert that still water of any depth was to he found 
along the ice front at the time mentioned, although such might have been 
the case, 
The radiating gravel ridges now. 
[Vol. XXIII. No. 571 
The breast feathers show comparatively little differ- 
ence, but when the backs of the birds are compared the 
contrast is at once apparent. Taking the one in the 
gray plumage, which is the type found most commonly 
in Maine and the other northern parts, the fan of long 
tail feathers is of a decided grayish cast, the back, 
upper and lower tail coverts being of the same shade. 
(The tail coverts and back vary in intensity to a greater 
or less extent in individuals.) The ruffs are black 
throughout, with a strong tinge of iridescent green. 
The next to be considered is the bird in the brown or 
red plumage, which is, from what I can learn, the 
phase more commonly found in the southern portions. 
Its fan is of a decided rufous tint, appearing in no way 
like that of the northern bird except for proportions 
and the transverse black bands. (These bands are al- 
most always black, having a decided tinge of rufous in 
but very few cases.) The tail coverts and upper parts 
are also of a reddish tint, the ruffs being a strong 
brownish-red, tipped with dark brown, and tinged with 
iridescent brown. All things considered, the northern 
and the southern bird, when laid side by side, would 
hardly be taken for the same species. 
Upen consideration, I am convinced that it would be 
impossible to show satisfactorily the third phase in one 
specimen. The upper portions of what I should con- 
sider the typical intermediate bird are what might be 
termed ‘‘pepper and salt,” for the fan (always except- 
ing the transverse black bands) is of a mixed red and 
gray color, the tail coverts and back being a medley of 
gray, dark brown and red. The ruffs may be either 
black or brown, for I have seen about an equal number 
of each. However, there is a wonderful variation, for 
I have taken birds having brown ruffs, back and tail 
coverts, yet with an almost entirely gray tail. This 
phase, like the preceding, is more commonly found 
southward. 
The intermediate stage may, I think, be due to the 
inter-breeding of northern and southern birds, which 
meet at about the latitude of Boston, for they are found 
commonly on or near that line. As the ruffed grouse is 
greatly given to migrating, this theory seems possible. 
Another curious fact has become more apparent to me 
year by year, namely, that in the vicinity of Boston the 
birds in the red or intermediate phase are taking the 
place of those in the gray, until this season I have 
taken an average of three red or intermediate birds to 
one gray one, whereas in former seasons it was exactly 
the reverse. 
In regard to nidification, [have not been fortunate 
enough to approach sufficiently near the birds on more 
than three nests to distinguish the color of their ruffs. 
Much to my satisfaction, however, one of these was red 
with brown ruffs, the other two being gray with black - 
ruffs. Curiously enough, in both sets of the black-ruffed 
birds the eggs were light colored with very faint mark- 
ings, while those of the red bird were larger with a 
darker ground color, most of them being thickly sprinkled 
with large, well-defined spots of reddish-brown. Of 
course this may have been purely accidental. 
In conclusion I will deviate from the subject by giv- 
ing my opinion that if the bounties were removed from 
owls and hawks, and put upon skunks, foxes and other 
vermin, our supply of game and song birds would be 
greatly increased; nor do I think that the farmer would 
suffer, in the aggregate, by such a proceeding. My 
reason for so thinking is the number of nests (including 
those of the ruffed grouse and oven bird) of eggs and 
young which I have found destroyed by these pests, 
not to speak of the number of birds killed after reach- 
ing maturity, which is comparatively small. 
