352 
PARTRIDGE. 
Color. Adult male. Upper surface, excepting wings which are dark-brown with the outer edge of primaries band¬ 
ed with yellowish-white, reddish-brown with the feathers edged, spotted, and mottled with dark-brown and ashy-white. 
There is a band of reddish-brown across breast, and the remaining under portions, are white, becoming yellowish on the 
throat, sides, flanks, and under tail coverts; banded throughout with brown. The tail is tipped with ashy and has a sub¬ 
terminal band of brown, above which is one of ashy. Tibia and tarsus, yellowish-brown. Neck tufts, black, with a blu¬ 
ish iridescense. 
Adult female. Quite similar to the male, but with the tail shorter and the general markings less distinct, while the 
neck tufts are either brown or tipped with it. 
Yount/. Not unlike the female, being quite dull with a general diffusion of color while the feathers are short and are 
marked like the other plumage. Iris, bill, and feet, brown, in these three stages. 
Nesllint/s. Areatfirst covered with yellowish-red down which is lighter below, having a central line on top of head, 
brown and also one behind eye of the same color, while the remainder of body is lined, mottled, and spotted with it. The 
wings and tail are yellowish, banded with lighter and brown. From this they gradually assume the plumage last described. 
Bill, iris, and feet, light brown, in this stage. 
OBSERVATIONS. 
There is considerable variation in plumage but this species may be readily known by the tuft of truncated feathers on 
sides of neck, long tail, and colors as described. Nestlings' evidently moult the wing quills two or three times before ac¬ 
quiring the full plumage. The tail, however, is retained until autumn. Albinos are not unfrequent in this species. Dis¬ 
tributed, as a constant resident, throughout Canada and Eastern United States, south among the mountains of the Caroli- 
nas. 1 am indebted tp.the Bangs Brothers and Mr. A. Thorndike for skins of Grouse. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 18-00; stretch, 23 00; wing, 6 95; tail, 
6 45; bill, - 72; tarsus, L - 55. Longest specimen, 19-00; greatest extent of wing, 23-50; longest wing, 7-25; tail, 6 90; bill, 
•80; tarsus, l - 70. Shortest specimen, 17"00; smallest extent of wing, 22"50; shortest wing, 6"75; tail, 5 90; bill, '65; tarsus, 
1-45. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Nests, placed on the ground. They are not very elaborate structures, being composed of leaves, weeds, or other con¬ 
venient material. 
Et/t/s, from eight to twelve in number, rather oval in form, creamy-white or buff in color, occasionally spotted with a 
darker buff. Dimensions from l - 08x 1-45 to l-20xl'65. 
HABITS. 
There are few who live in the sections inhabited by the fine Grouse now under con¬ 
sideration, and ever handled a gun, who are not more or less familiar with the ways and 
doings of the Partridge, as it is called in the North, or Pheasant, in Pennsylvania and 
southward. Every sportsman knows the exciting whir of their wings as they rise, and 
the straight forward, onward dash of the birds, for, regardless of such small obstacles as 
bushes or tree tops, they go crashing through them, then sail smoothly across some neigh¬ 
boring swamp, to alight on the next elevation. All this is so familiar to every one who is 
interested in birds, that I will not enlarge on the general habits of these Grouse but merely 
give some special facts which I have observed concerning them. 
Early in autumn, the Ruffed Grouse are to be found in companies of from six to ten, 
which are usually made up of a single family, and if not scattered by the sportsman, will 
continue thus to associate through the winter. At first, they may be seen in the chestnut 
or oak woods, gathering nuts and acorns, or at this season, they will venture into the corn 
fields, especially if these be in the neighborhood of brushy pastures. If surprised when 
feeding where not much hunted, they will seldom rise but will only run through the bush¬ 
es, uttering a chuckling note, and will not take wing until hard pushed, when they will 
