340 



NOKTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



from specimens taken by him in the Eocky Mountains near the 

 sources of Columbia River.^ Two years later Richardson described , 

 a male taken by Drummond near the sources of the Athabaska, in 

 the same region.^ J. Alden Loring took males at Banff, Alberta, 

 August 26 and 28, 1894. He took a female about 40 miles west of 

 Henry House on October 1, 1895, and a male 15 miles west of Henry 

 House on October 18, 1896. Macoun states that Spreadborough 

 reported the species common about Jasper House in the summer of 

 1898.^^ 



Bonasa uinbelliis umbelloides (Dough). Gray Ruffed Grouse. 



The ruffed grouse occurs commonly in the wooded parts of the 

 region north to Great Slave Lake, and to about latitude 63° on the 

 Mackenzie. In 1901 it was seen or heard nearly every day along the 

 road between Edmonton and Athabaska Landing April 29 to May 5, 

 and along the Athabaska between the Landing and the mouth of the 

 river. May 6 to IT. The birds were especially abundant along the 

 Athabaska from the mouth of Red River to within a short distance 

 of Athabaska Lake, and their drumming was heard almost con- 

 stantly, several being frequently noted at once. On the evening of 

 May 15 several females were seen hurriedly gathering a supper of 

 the buds of the balsam poplar. They had probably left their nests 

 to fill their crops with the food most readily available. 



At our several camps near Fort Chipewyan we found the species 

 fairly abundant May 18 to June 5. On May 25 and 26 I observed 

 a male in the act of drumming. He had several drumming stands 

 within a distance of 25 yards in rather heavy mixed woods. If dis- 

 turbed at one place he was soon heard at another, but owing to the 

 surrounding vegetation I was able to observe him plainly at but 

 one of these stands, and there only after a careful and tedious ap- 

 proach through a mosquito-infested muskeg. While drumming he 

 stood erect on the log, and his wings, not extended to their full length, 

 but held about half open, were raised above the back and brought 

 downward against the body, at the end of the stroke apparently oc- 

 cupying the same position that they ordinarily do when closed. 

 During the intervals between the drummings he walked slowly back 

 and forth on the log, holding himself erect, with his feathers closely 

 compressed to the body. He was oblivious of my presence, and I 

 watched him from a distance of 20 yards until the mosquitoes over- 

 came my enthusiasm. 



The species was noted near the mouth of Peace River June 5, and 

 was fairly common, June 7 to 11, at our camp 10 miles below the 



« Trans. Linn. Soc. London, XVI, p. 139, 1829. 

 ^ Fauna*Boreali-Americana. II, p. 349, 1831. 

 « Cat. Canadian Birds, Pai t I, p. 201, 1900, 



