2o6 Bird Studies. 



is any considerable area of woodland, it is still comparatively common and in 

 the rough mountain regions and the large forests of the North and West it is 

 abundant. Its food supply, during the warmer parts of the year, consists of 

 insects and the smaller wild fruits, and in the rigor of winter, buds, leaves, and 

 seeds are the staple diet. 



A large bird a foot and a half in length, the male is of general rusty 

 brown color above. The feathers of the top of the head are somewhat 

 elongated, forming, when erected, a prominent crest. On each side of the 

 neck is a noticeable tuft of black feathers. The tail varies in color from gray- 

 ish to rusty brown. There is a broad black band near the end and the tips 

 of the feathers are gray. The rest of the tail is barred and mottled with 

 black in an irregular way. There is a dusky band on the breast and the 

 throat is brownish buff. Back of the breast band the lower parts are white, 

 or grayish white, with buffy suffusions, and barred, obscurely on the breast 

 and belly and clearly on the sides with dusky brown or blackish. 



The female is smaller, and the neck tufts are much less prominent, some- 

 times being obsolete. 



The nest is placed on the ground close to a stump or fallen log. From 

 six to ten eggs are the usual number laid. They are plain buff in color and 

 are about an inch and a half in their large, and an inch and a fifth in their 

 small diameter. These birds range from Vermont to Virginia and on the 

 higher Alleghanies to Georgia and Tennessee. They extend westward to 

 the Great Plains. 



This is the geographical race of the Ruffed Grouse that is found in the 



Canadian Ruffed ^^o^'thern half of the Northern New England States, 



Grouse. Northern New. York, and thence north to Hudson's Bay. 



Bonasaumbeiius'togata j^^ ^-^^^^ ^j.g g^^y j^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ instead of reddlsh 



brown, and are much more distinctly barred beneath. 



The Spruce Partridge, or Canada Grouse, is a smaller bird than the 

 Ruffed Grouse, being about fifteen inches and a half long. 

 Canada Grouse. ^^^ general effect of the male is black and white. 



Dendragapus canadensis The Upper parts are barred with black and grayish. The 

 tail is black tipped with reddish brown. There is an ex- 

 posed bare area above the eye, which is bright red in life. The under parts 



