THE BIRD BOOK 
299- Franklin’s Grouse. 
Ruffed Grouse 
Canachites franklin franhlini. 
Range. — Northwestern United States and Brit 
ish Columbia. 
This species 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 broadly tipped with white. 
This species, 
which is very 
abundant in the 
northwest, has 
the same stupid 
habits of the east- 
ern bird. During 
the mating seas- 
on, the males of 
both this and the 
preceding species 
have the same 
habit of “drum- 
ming” that the 
Ruffed Grouse has. Their nests are placed on 
the ground under bushes or 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 Grouse. Data. — Moberly Peak, Cascade 
Mts., British Columbia, June 9, 1902. 7 eggs in a 
slight hollow on the ground. Collector, G. F. 
Dippie. 
300. Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus um- 
bellus. 
Range. — Eastern United States from Minnesota 
to New England; south to Virginia. 
Brownish buff 
The Ruffed Grouse is “King of the Game Birds” 
in the east, where it has been hunted so freely, 
that it has become very wary and requires a skill- 
ful marksman to bring it down. Because of the 
cutting off of all heavy timber, and the vigor with 
which they are pursued by hunters, they are be- 
coming very 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 flight 
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. 
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