﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  373 
  

  

  observers 
  have 
  reported 
  that 
  grouse 
  are 
  occasionally 
  crusted 
  over 
  while 
  

   sleeping 
  in 
  the 
  snow 
  and 
  are 
  never 
  able 
  to 
  escape, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  certainly 
  a 
  

   rare 
  occurrence 
  in 
  our 
  State. 
  With 
  their 
  powerful 
  wings 
  they 
  can 
  force 
  

   themselves 
  some 
  distance 
  through 
  the 
  snow-banks 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  manner 
  often 
  

   escape 
  from 
  birds 
  of 
  prey. 
  

  

  Enemies. 
  The 
  greatest 
  enemies 
  of 
  the 
  grouse 
  are 
  foxes, 
  martens, 
  

   minks, 
  weasels, 
  Great-homed 
  owls, 
  goshawks 
  and 
  Cooper 
  hawks 
  which 
  

   capture 
  both 
  old 
  and 
  young 
  birds. 
  Chicks 
  are 
  destroyed 
  by 
  cats 
  and 
  crows, 
  

   and 
  often 
  become 
  victims 
  of 
  ticks 
  and 
  abdominal 
  parasites. 
  In 
  cold, 
  wet 
  

   seasons 
  the 
  eggs 
  hatch 
  poorh' 
  and 
  the 
  young 
  die 
  from 
  exposure. 
  In 
  well 
  

   settled 
  districts 
  wandering 
  cats 
  are 
  fulh' 
  as 
  great 
  an 
  enemy 
  as 
  gunners. 
  

   I 
  have 
  knowm 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  cat 
  which 
  brought 
  home, 
  in 
  one 
  season, 
  not 
  less 
  

   than 
  18 
  grouse, 
  some 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  two 
  thirds 
  grown, 
  and 
  doubtless 
  others 
  

   were 
  devoured 
  in 
  the 
  field. 
  Crows 
  destroy 
  the 
  eggs 
  whenever 
  they 
  can 
  

   discover 
  the 
  nest, 
  and 
  skunks, 
  weasels, 
  and 
  red 
  squirrels 
  are 
  a 
  continual 
  

   menace 
  during 
  the 
  incubation 
  period. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  Ruffed 
  grouse 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  preserved 
  in 
  the 
  more 
  thickly 
  populated 
  

   districts 
  the 
  sportsman 
  must 
  abandon 
  hunting 
  it 
  in 
  these 
  localities, 
  and 
  

   reserves 
  of 
  several 
  thousands 
  of 
  acres 
  with 
  suitable 
  food 
  and 
  cover 
  should 
  

   be 
  established 
  in 
  various 
  localities 
  to 
  serve 
  as 
  strongholds 
  and 
  propagating 
  

   centers 
  for 
  the 
  species. 
  The 
  Ruifed 
  grouse 
  is 
  our 
  finest 
  game 
  bird 
  and 
  it 
  

   will 
  be 
  a 
  disgrace 
  if 
  it 
  be 
  allowed 
  to 
  go 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  Heath 
  hen 
  and 
  Wild 
  

   turkey. 
  

  

  Bonasa 
  umbellus 
  togata 
  (Linnaeus) 
  

   Canadian 
  Ruffed 
  Grouse 
  

  

  Tetrao 
  togatus 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Xat. 
  Ed. 
  12. 
  1766. 
  1:275 
  

  

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

  

  togd'ta, 
  Lat., 
  togated, 
  gowned, 
  probably 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  dark 
  or 
  gray 
  

   suffusion 
  of 
  the 
  plumage 
  in 
  this 
  A'ariety 
  

  

  Description. 
  Ruffed 
  grouse 
  from 
  northern 
  Canada 
  are 
  easily 
  dis- 
  

   tinguishable 
  from 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Atlantic 
  States 
  by 
  their 
  much 
  darker 
  

   hue, 
  especially 
  the 
  barring 
  of 
  the 
  under 
  parts, 
  these 
  cross 
  markings 
  being 
  

   quite 
  dusky 
  across 
  the 
  breast, 
  and 
  becoming 
  almost 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  flanks. 
  The 
  

   edges 
  of 
  each 
  bar, 
  even 
  on 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  breast, 
  are 
  blackish. 
  There 
  

  

  