RUFFED GROUSE. 219 



Tetrao Umbellus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. iTS.—Lath. Ind. Orn. vol. ii. p. 638 — 

 Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 126. 



Ruffed Grouse, Tetrao Umbellus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 45. PL 40. 

 Male — Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 738. 



Shoui.der-knot Grouse Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 737- 



Adult Male. Plate XLI. Fig. 1,2. 



Bill short, robust, slightly arched, rather obtuse, the base covered by 

 feathers ; upper mandible with the dorsal outline straight in the feathered 

 part, convex towards the end, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate ; 

 under mandible somewhat bulging toward the tip, the sides convex. 

 Nostrils concealed among the feathers. Head and neck small. Body 

 bulky. Feet of ordinary length ; tarsus feathered, excepting at the lower 

 part anteriorly, where it is scutellate, spurless ; toes scuteUate above, pec- 

 tinated on the sides ; claws arched, depressed, obtuse. 



Plumage compact, glossy. Feathers of the head narrow and elon- 

 gated into a curved tuft. A large space on the neck destitute of feathers, 

 but covered over by an erectile ruff" of elongated feathers, of which the 

 upper are silky, shining, and curved forwards at the end, which is very 

 broad and rounded. Wings short, broad, much rounded and curved, the 

 third and fourth quiUs longest. Tail long, ample, rounded, of eighteen 

 feathers. 



Bill horn-colour, brownish-black towards the tip. Iris hazel. Feet 

 yellowish-grey. Upper part of the head and hind part of the neck bright 

 yellowish-red. Back rich chestnut, marked with oblong white spots, mar- 

 gined with black. Upper wing-coverts similar to the back. Quills 

 brownish-dusky, their outer webs pale reddish, spotted with dusky. Upper 

 tail-coverts banded with black. Tail reddish-yellow, barred and minutely 

 mottled with black, and terminated by a broad band of the latter colour, 

 between two narrow bands of bluish-white, of which one is tenninal. A 

 yellowish-white band from the upper mandible to the eye, beyond which 

 it is prolonged. Throat and lower part of the neck light brownish-yel- 

 low. Lower ruff" feathers of the same colour, barred with reddish-brown, 

 the upper black with blue reflections. A tuft of light chestnut feathers 

 under the wings. The rest of the under parts yellowish- white, with broad 

 transverse spots of brownish-red ; the abdomen yellowish-red ; and the 

 under tail-coverts mottled with brown. 



