BONASA UMBELLUS, KUPFED GROUSE. 42*1 



b. var. tunbelloides (Qray Euffed Grouse). 



Tetrao umMloides, DotiGL., Tr. Linn. Soo. xvi, 18-29, 148. 



Bonasa mnUllm var. umbelloides, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 925.— Couns, Key, 1872, 235.— Mehr., 

 Eeii. U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1872, 699.— B. B. & E., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 453, pi. 61, f. 10. 

 Bonasa mnUllus, Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1873, 181 (Rocky Mountains). 



c. var. sabinii (Red Euffed Grouse). 



Tetrao sabinii, DouGL., Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi, 1829, 137.— Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831,343, 



foot-note. 

 Bonasa sabiriU, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 631.— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. ler.O, 224.— 



Lord, Pr. Arty. Inst. 1864, 123.— Elliot, Mooog-. Tcli: pi. —.—Coop., B. Cal. i, 



1870, 540.— Dall & Bann., Tr. Chic, Acad, i, 1809, 2^7 (Sitka). 

 Bonasa umbellus var. sabinei, CouES, Key, 1872, 235.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 454. 

 Tetrao umbellus, Newb., P. E. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 94 (Oregon). 



ffab. — Of tbe typical form, the United States to tUe high central plains, in wooded jl/J^- - c- 

 districts. Canada, and interior of the fur countries, to Nalato, Alaska (Dall). (But I ^ ,r 

 am informed hy Mr. Eidgway that the British Americiin— even Canadian — specimens /2~ £> 

 are all more or less referable to var. unibelloides, being grayer than those of the United / -^ 

 States.) Of var. umbelloides, the Rocky Mountain region. Of var. sabinii, the Pacificj"-. • ^ 

 province, from the northern border of California to Sitka. 



The Euffed Grouse occurs over only a very limited portion of the 

 Missouri region, by far the greater part of the country not fulfilling its 

 requirements, which are those of an exclusively woodland bird. Dr. 

 Hayden does not mention the species at all, and I never saw it in the 

 Missouri region. It apparently occurs only toward the mouth of the 

 river and in the adjacent country. I have seen no Nebraskau record. 

 In Kansas Mr. Snow says it is "very rare," and it is, no doubt, confined 

 to the eastern part of the State, where it probably breeds. It is given 

 as abundant in Southern Iowa by Mr. Trippe, and occurs in various 

 parts of Missouri. At the other extreme of the Missouri region it is 

 represented by var. umbelloides, as noted beyond. 



It is somewhat singular that a misapprehension should subsist, even 

 among well-informed persons, in regard to this species. The confusion 

 in the minds of some is, doubtless, partly due to the fact that the bird 

 goes under different names in different parts of the country ; and we 

 are often asked, is it a Partridge, or is it a Pheasant"? to which reply 

 may be made that it is neither, but a Grouse. " Pheasant" is a name of 

 a variety of birds of the family Fhasianidce, indigenous to Southern 

 Asia, and not represented in this country at all. The best known spe- 

 cies is that one long ago introduced into England, and there thoroughly 

 naturalized. (The nearest American representative of the Pheasants is 

 tbe Wild Turkey, which is sometimes included in the family Fhasian- 

 idce.) " Partridge" is the name of a group of small gallinaceous birds, 

 which, like the Phasianidce, belong exclusively to the Old World, our 

 American Partridges, so called, being quite a different set of birds. A 

 poverty of our language in the matter of names of various American 

 birds has caused them to become known by some term really belonging 

 only to their (real or supposed) nearest European relatives. It would 

 simplify matters much to discard altogether the terms " Pheasant" and 

 " Partridge," by whicli this species is known in, respectively, the North- 

 ern and Southern Slates, and call it by its proper name. of " Eutied 

 Grouse." The bird itself is unmistakable ; no other species has the con- 

 spicuous ruffle of lengthened, broad, soft, silky feathers on the neck ; 

 and the only other species with any feathery neck-appendages is the 

 Pinnated Grouse, where the appendages are like little wings of narrow, 

 straight, pointed feathers. The Rufi'ed Grouse may be confounded by 

 some with the Canada Grouse, or "Spruce Partridge" (Tetrao cana- 

 densis); but this has no lengthened feathers on the neck, and is other- 



