BONASA UMBELLOIDES. 
Elliot. 
ARCTIC RUFFED GROUSE, 
TETRAO UMBELLOIDES. Doug., Linn. Trams., vol. xvi., 1829, p. 148. 
BONASA UMBELLOIDES. Elliot, Proceed. Acad. Nat. Scien. (1864), p. 
This Grouse, so closely resembling the common species generally known as Ruffed Grouse that a casual observer would be likely to con- 
found them, seems, however, to be entitled to specific distinctness. In the specimens before me differences exist, which are constant, and of 
snch a character as leave me no alternative bnt to separate this bird from Botiasa TJmbellus. In the first place, the size is very much less, at 
least one third, and there appear none of the red hues, so very conspicuous in some specimens of the Ruffed Grouse. Also (and this is a 
constant character in the specimens I have), the broad black band crossing the lower part of the tail is not continuous, but is broken by the 
two centre feathers, which retain their gray color spotted with black, throughout their length. The markings of the back, in shape and 
distribution, differ materially from its ally, and the ruff is not nearly as conspicuous as is that in B. TJmbellus. 
Douglass, in his Paper on the Grouse in the Transactions of the Linnean Society, speaks of this bird, under the head of T. TJmbellus, as 
follows; — “In the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, 54° north latitude, and a few miles northward near the sources of Peace River, a sup- 
posed variety of this species is found, — different from T. TJmbellus of Wilson. On comparing my specimens from that country with some 
which I prepared in the States of New York and Pennsylvania, and on the shores on the chain of lakes in Upper Canada, I find the following 
differences : First, the northern bird is constantly one third smaller, of a very light speckled mixed gray, having little of that rusty color so 
conspicuous in the southern bird ; secondly, the ruffle consists invariably of only twenty feathers, these short, black, and with but little azure 
glossiness; the crest feathers are few and short. Shoidd these characters hereafter be considered of sufficient importance for constituting 
a distinct species, it might perhaps be well to call it T. TJmbelloides.” It seems to separate the eastern from the western species, for while 
the former possesses both the gray and red varieties, the latter has only the red, and the present species but the gray. It is distributed from 
the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains northward throughout the entire range, and on the slopes as far as the woods extend. It has also 
been found eastward to the shores of Slave Lake. 
The species may be described as follows : Upper part of head and neck brownish gray, with central feathers of the crest black, crossed 
with irregular bars of rufous brown, a white line from the bill running to and under the eye, with spot of same behind and rather above 
the eyes. Feathers above the ruff, of a darker shade than the head, broadly marked with black, a central strip of white, sometimes widening 
at the tip. Ruff moderate, glossy black, with purple reflections. Upper part of back barred with black, and .rufous, these crossing but not 
including the shaft, which is reddish brown. Rest of back and upper tail coverts light gray mottled with black, each feather having a black 
spot terminating in a yellowish-white, irregularly heart-shaped spot. These are indistinct upon some of the feathers, and the black spot 
only shows through the gray color at intervals. The upper wing coverts are reddish, with central streaks of white, these last predominating, 
giving a very light appearance to this portion of the bird. Wings darker than the back, each feather with a central line of white, and the 
tertials spotted with black, this last being quite conspicuous on the inner webs of some, while the outer webs have very broad lines of white 
next the shaft, and separated from the brownish gray of the outer portion by a narrow line of dark brown. Spurious wings dark brown, 
shafts reddish brown. Primaries same color, but the outer webs have alternate marks of yellowish white and brown. Tail light gray, 
irregularly crossed by narrow, interrupted bars of black, and mottled also throughout the entire feather with the same ; a broad band of 
black crosses the tail near the tip, bnt is interrupted by the two central feathers, which preserve their gray hue throughout their length. 
Throat white, spotted with brown on the sides, a narrow band of rufous, .spotted with black, crosses the upper part of the breast. Rest 
of under parts white, the feathers crossed with bars of dark brown, most distinct on the flanks. Under tail coverts dark gray irregularly 
marked with faint lines of black, and having very broad white ends. Under part of tail feathers of a silvery gray, less distinctly mottled 
and crossed with black than the upper side. Upper mandible black ; under mandible horn color at base, tip black. Tarsi brownish white. 
Feet brown. 
The plate represents the two sexes of the natural size. 
