North Ajiericax Birds Eggs. 



139 



298b. Alaskan Spruce Grouse, ('(tiiacliitcx (■(tnadrnxh iiH<ji)iiili. 



Range. — Alaska. 



This variety i.s praotically the same as tlie preceding, the birds luit always 

 being distinguishalile; the nest and eggs are the same as the Canada Grduse. 



298c. Hudsonian Spruce Grouse. Cftiiachitrn r(iiiiiilciisi-'< irnifiir. 



Range. — Labrador and the Hudson Baj' region. 



Like the last, this variety is hardly to be distinguished from the Canada. 

 Its nesting habits and eggs are the same. 



299. Franklin Grouse. Cnnnrliitrs frfinkUnii. 



Range. — Northwestern United States and British Columbia. 



This speeies is very similar to the Canada 

 Grouse, the most apparent difference being the 

 absence of the brownish gray tip to the tail, 

 and the upper coverts are bnnully tipped with 

 white. This species, which is very abundant 

 in the northwest, has the same stupid habits of 

 the eastern bird. During the mating season, 

 the males of both this and the preceding species 

 have the same habit of "drumming" that the 

 Ruffed Grouse has. Their nests are placed on 

 the ground under bushes of fir trees and from 

 eight to fifteen eggs are laid. These are brown- 

 ish buff in color, spotted and blotched with 

 rich brown. They are very similar to the eggs of the Canada 

 Moberly Peak, Cascade Mts., British Columl)ia, June 9, 1 

 slight hollow on the ground. Collector, G. F. Dippie. 



300. Ruffed Grouse. Bnviifta iimbelliis. 

 Range. Eastern United States from 



Virginia. 



Brownish buff. I 



Grouse. Data. — 

 1)1!. 7 eggs in a 



Minnesota to New England; south to 



The Ruffed Grouse is "King of the Game Birds" 

 in the east, where it has been hunted so freely, 

 that it has Ijecome very wary and requires a skill- 

 ful marksman to bring it down. Because of the 

 cutting oj^ of all heavy timber, and the vigor with 

 which they are pursued by hunters, they are be- 

 coming ver_y scarce in New England, and within 

 a few years they will probably be practically ex- 

 tinct in that section. Their favorite resorts are 

 heavily timbered woods or low growth birches. 

 Their nests are hollows in the leaves under fallen 

 trees, beside some stump or concealed among the 

 small shoots at the base of a large tree. The bird 

 sits very close, but when she does fly, goes with the familiar rumble and roar, 

 which always disconcerts the novice, the wind created by her sudden tlight 

 generally causing the leaves to settle in the nest and conceal the eggs. They 

 lay from eight to fifteen eggs, of a brownish buff' color, sometimes with a few 

 faint markings of brown, but generally unspotted. Size 1.55 x 1.15. The young 

 of all the Partridges and Grouse are born covered with down and follow their 

 parents soon after leaving the shell. The adults are very skillful in leading 

 enemies away from their young, feigning lameness, broken wings, etc. The 

 nesting habits and eggs of the three sub-species are precisely the same in every 

 respect as those of this bird. 



[Brownish l)uffy.l 



