154 
GALLI FORMES 
Distribution. The northern spruce forests across the continent. In the Prairie 
Provinces south to the edge of the continuous forest, but not extending far southward 
in the mountains. In British Columbia not reaching the Canadian National Railway 
tracks nor the coast anywhere. 
SUBSPECIES. The Spruce Grouse is divided into several recognized subspecies, 
all much better characterized in the female than in the male. 
The Hudsonian Spruce Grouse (lo Tetras des savanes Hudsonien) Canachites canaden- 
sis canadensis occupies most of the northland from Labrador west to the base of the Rocky 
Mountains near Jasper Park. There is also an apparently isolated community on the 
southwest coast of Alaska; for which a separate name has been proposed. The Alaska 
Spruce Grouse (le Tetras des savanes de FAlaska) Canachites canadensis osgoodi occupies 
central Alaska, the Yukon, northern British Columbia, and Mackenzie Valley. Manitoba, 
north to the head of the big lakes, is inhabited by the Canada Spruce Grouse (le Tetras 
des savanes du Canada) Canachites canadensis canace, which is also the southern Ontario 
and Maritime Province form. These races are too slightly defined, however, to warrant 
consideration by any but the expert with a large series of specimens for comparison. 
The Spruce Grouse, though colloquially and often officially called 
“partridge,” is a true grouse misnamed through general but careless usage. 
It is a bird of the northern woods. Its over-confiding nature has given it 
the name of “Fool Hen” as, where not much disturbed, it can be killed with 
sticks or stones. For this reason it is one of the first birds to disappear 
before settlement and it is rapidly vanishing from all but the most retired 
and lonely localities. Owing to its feeding largely upon spruce or evergreen 
buds its flesh in late or middle winter is usually too strong for the ordinary 
civilized palate and it can not be listed as a legitimate game bird. 
Figure 224 
Tail tip of Franklin’s Grouse; scale, h. 
299. Franklin’s Grouse, fool hen. le tetras de franklin. Canachites frank- 
lini. L, 15. Almost exactly like the Spruce Grouse, with tail black to the tip or else 
with narrow white termination and gen- 
erally with conspicuous white tips to 
uppertail-eoverts (Figure 224, compare 
with 223). 
Distinctions. Size will distinguish from 
any bird but the very closely allied Spruce 
Grouse of northern British Columbia and 
the Prairie Provinces, and the ptarmigan of 
the far north anti high elevations. Easily 
distinguished from the latter by the un- 
feathered toes (Compare with Figure 226). 
The male is distinguished from the Spruce 
Grouse by the lack of rusty-ochre tips to 
the tail feathers, or its replacement by a 
narrow line of white, usually with pronounced white tips, on the uppertail-eoverts. This 
last character sometimes occurs in the Alaska form of the Spruce Grouse which, however, 
has not the white tail tip common to both sexes of Franklin’s. Females are more difficult 
to distinguish and may at times be inseparable from the Spruce Grouse. The lack of rusty in 
tail tip and the presence of broad white tips to uppertail-eoverts are the best distinctions. 
Specimens approaching intermediate may occur. Slight traces of rusty on tail tip may 
occur in Franklin’s Grouse, but never anything like a terminal bar. This difference never 
seems cjuite bridged over and is, therefore, regarded as fully specific. 
Field Marks. Small size and general black, grey, and white coloration and red comb 
of male. Female, a small, reddish brown grouse strongly banded all around body. Prob- 
ably inseparable in life from the Spruce Grouse unless the terminal tail characters are 
evident. There are, however, but few places where their ranges overlap. 
Distribution. The mountains of northern Oregon to central British Columbia from 
the Coast Range to the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Alberta. 
All that is said of the Spruce Grouse is equally true of this species. 
300. Ruffed Grouse, partridge, birch partridge, la gelinotte des bois francs 
(La Perdrix). Bonasa umbellus. L, 17. Plate XVIII B. A large, woodland grouse 
coloured in wood-browns and greys. Broad, soft, black feathers making “ruffs” 
on sides of neck, and lower back feathers with small, fine eye-spots. Female similar but 
