﻿372 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  left. 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  grouse 
  on 
  a 
  few 
  occasions 
  dive 
  into 
  the 
  snow 
  on 
  a 
  hill- 
  

   side 
  or 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  a 
  tree, 
  and 
  this 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  their 
  usual 
  method 
  of 
  

   going 
  to 
  bed 
  in 
  the 
  coldest 
  winter 
  weather, 
  for, 
  by 
  studying 
  the 
  records 
  

   in 
  the 
  snow, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  w^alk 
  to 
  their 
  sleeping 
  place 
  

   but 
  dive 
  into 
  it 
  from 
  a 
  neighboring 
  tree, 
  a 
  habit 
  which 
  undoubtedly 
  saves 
  

  

  specimens 
  of 
  Ruffed 
  grouse, 
  Bonasa 
  umbeUus, 
  from 
  New 
  York 
  State 
  showing 
  gradation 
  from 
  B. 
  u. 
  umbeUus 
  on 
  

   the 
  right 
  (Bergen, 
  Genesee 
  county), 
  to 
  B. 
  u. 
  togata 
  on 
  the 
  left 
  (Upper 
  Ausable 
  lake). 
  The 
  intermediates 
  are 
  from 
  

   Saratoga 
  county 
  and 
  southern 
  Ontario 
  county. 
  

  

  them 
  from 
  being 
  tracked 
  by 
  hungry- 
  foxes 
  and 
  weasels. 
  When 
  leaving 
  their 
  

   couch 
  in 
  the 
  snow 
  they 
  come 
  out 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  steps 
  before 
  taking 
  wing, 
  

   but 
  if 
  disturbed 
  they 
  spring 
  direct^ 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  snow 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  them 
  

   do 
  on 
  many 
  occasions. 
  In 
  the 
  coldest 
  weather 
  they 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  snow 
  

   until 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  worst 
  weather 
  perhaps 
  for 
  two 
  or 
  

   three 
  days, 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  being 
  protected 
  from 
  the 
  extreme 
  cold. 
  Some 
  

  

  