﻿366 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  April 
  and 
  earl}^ 
  May 
  the 
  males 
  strut 
  and 
  drum 
  somewhat 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  

   of 
  the 
  Ruffed 
  grouse, 
  the 
  sound 
  reseinbling 
  the 
  distant 
  roll 
  of 
  thunder. 
  

   It 
  is 
  usually 
  produced 
  when 
  the 
  cock 
  is 
  fluttering 
  up 
  an 
  inclined 
  tree 
  trunk 
  

   or 
  on 
  a 
  stump 
  and 
  from 
  this 
  elevation 
  to 
  the 
  ground 
  again, 
  or 
  sometimes 
  

   by 
  merely 
  springing 
  into 
  the 
  air 
  for 
  several 
  feet 
  and 
  fluttering 
  to 
  the 
  ground. 
  

   The 
  nest 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  a 
  slight 
  elevation 
  in 
  the 
  swamp 
  beside 
  a 
  stump 
  or 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  low 
  branches 
  of 
  a 
  spruce 
  tree 
  and 
  is 
  constructed 
  of 
  slender 
  

   twigs 
  and 
  leaves 
  or 
  blades 
  of 
  grass. 
  The 
  materials 
  are 
  added 
  to 
  ever}" 
  day 
  

   as 
  the 
  laying 
  progresses 
  until 
  a 
  deeph" 
  hollowed 
  structure 
  is 
  built 
  up 
  about 
  

   the 
  eggs, 
  which 
  are 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  14 
  in 
  number, 
  rather 
  pointed, 
  of 
  a 
  rich 
  buffy 
  

   or 
  pale 
  brownish 
  color, 
  speckled 
  and 
  spotted 
  with 
  a 
  rich 
  chestnut 
  and 
  blackish 
  

   brown, 
  and 
  average 
  1.72 
  x 
  1.25 
  inches 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  

   from 
  the 
  5th 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  Ma\', 
  and 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  is 
  recorded 
  

   in 
  Bendire's 
  Life 
  Histories 
  as 
  1 
  7 
  days. 
  

  

  In 
  summer 
  and 
  early 
  fall 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  Spruce 
  grouse 
  consists 
  lai'gely 
  

   of 
  berries 
  and 
  tender 
  shoots 
  of 
  plants, 
  and 
  its 
  flesh 
  is 
  well 
  flavored, 
  but 
  in 
  

   winter 
  it 
  feeds 
  almost 
  entirely 
  on 
  spruce 
  buds 
  and 
  then 
  the 
  flesh 
  becomes 
  

   bitter 
  and 
  unpalatable. 
  

  

  Bonasa 
  umbellus 
  umbellus 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Ruffed 
  Grouse 
  

  

  Plate 
  41 
  

  

  Tetrao 
  umbellus 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  12. 
  1766. 
  1:275 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  204, 
  fig. 
  174 
  

   Bonasa 
  umbellus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  300 
  

  

  bond'sa, 
  Gr. 
  /Sovaao's, 
  Lat. 
  bonasus, 
  bison, 
  the 
  drumming 
  being 
  likened 
  to 
  

  

  the 
  bellowing 
  of 
  a 
  bull; 
  mnbel'lus, 
  poor 
  Latin 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  umbel, 
  

  

  or 
  umbrella, 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  ruffs 
  

  

  Description. 
  Crested 
  and 
  ruffed; 
  the 
  bare 
  skin 
  beneath 
  the 
  ruff 
  appar- 
  

   entl\- 
  not 
  distensible 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Heath 
  hen 
  ; 
  tail 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  wings, 
  somewhat 
  

   doubly 
  emarginate 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  nearly 
  half 
  diamond 
  shape 
  when 
  spread, 
  of 
  

   18 
  broad 
  truncate 
  feathers; 
  tarsi 
  partly 
  feathered 
  in 
  front; 
  plumage 
  beauti- 
  

   fully 
  blended 
  with 
  rufous 
  brown, 
  blackish, 
  and 
  gra}-; 
  r^iffs 
  black 
  or 
  brownish 
  

   black, 
  with 
  greenish 
  or 
  steel-blue 
  iridescence; 
  tail 
  rufous 
  or 
  gray 
  with 
  a 
  

   broad 
  subterminal 
  band 
  of 
  blackish 
  and 
  numerous 
  small 
  broken 
  bars 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  