Grouse

297. Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus). L. ♂, 20. ♀, 18. Ad. ♂. Gray tail-band over one inch wide on middle feather; below grayish slate; above blackish with fine rusty and grayish markings. Ad. ♀. With more white below; foreback regularly barred with buffy; middle tail-feathers irregularly barred with buff or grayish; terminal gray band finely marked with black. Notes. A loud, ventriloquial, hooting or booming. Range.—"Rocky Mountains, from central Montana and southeastern Idaho to New Mexico and Arizona; east to the Black Hills, South Dakota and west to East Humboldt Mountains, Nevada." (A. O. U.) 297a. Sooty Grouse (D. o. fuliginosus). Similar to [No. 297], but slightly darker, gray band on central tail feather less than one inch wide. Range.—"Northwest Coast Mountains, from California to Sitka, east to Nevada, western Idaho and portions of British Columbia." (A.O.U.) 297b. Richardson Grouse (D. o. richardsonii). Similar to [No. 297a], but no tail band, or, if showing indistinctly from above, not visible from below. Range.—"Rocky Mountains, especially on the eastern slopes, from central Montana, northern Wyoming and southeastern Idaho, into British America to Liard River." (A. O. U.) 298. Hudsonian Spruce Grouse (Canachites canadensis). L. 15. Ad. ♂. Tail-feathers tipped with brown; foreback margined with bluish gray. Ad. ♀. Above, bases of feathers more or less barred with rusty especially on foreback; throat and breast barred with rusty and black; belly as in male. Notes. A drumming sound produced by the beating of the wings. (Bendire.) Range.—Labrador and Hudson Bay region. 298b. Alaska Spruce Grouse (C. c. osgoodi). Ad. ♂. Similar to Ad. ♂. of [No. 298c], but margins to feathers of foreback brownish ashy. Ad. ♀. Similar to Ad. ♀ of [No. 298c], but paler, barred with buff instead of rusty. Range.—Alaska. 298c. Canada Grouse (C. c. canace). Ad. ♂. Similar to Ad. ♂. of [No. 298]. Ad. ♀. Similar to Ad. ♀ of [No. 298], but above more rusty, rusty bars deeper and more conspicuous, showing throughout upper surface and on flanks. Range.—Northern New England, northern New York, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec west to northern Minnesota. 299. Franklin Grouse (Canachites franklinii). Resembles [No. 298], but tail without brown tips, sometimes tipped with white. Range.—"Northern Rocky Mountains, from northwestern Montana to the coast ranges of Oregon and Washington, and northward in British America, reaching the Pacific coast of southern Alaska (latitude 60°)." (A. O. U.)

300. Ruffed Grouse; 'Partridge;' 'Pheasant' (Bonasa umbellus). L. 17. Ad. ♂. Prevailing color above rusty brown; tail rusty or gray. Ad. ♀. Similar but neck-tufts smaller. Notes. The male produces a drumming sound by rapidly beating its wings; the female utters a cluck and when defending her brood, a singular low whining sound. Range.—Eastern United States from Minnesota, southern Ontario, southern New Hampshire and southern Vermont, south to Virginia and along the Alleghanies to Georgia; west to northwestern Arkansas. 300a. Canadian Ruffed Grouse (B. u. togata). Similar to [No. 300], but slightly grayer above; tail generally gray; bars on breast and belly darker and better defined. Range.—Spruce forests of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Maine northern New Hampshire, northern Vermont and south to higher mountains of Massachusetts and northern New York; west to eastern slope of coast ranges of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia; north to James Bay. 300b. Gray Ruffed Grouse (B. u. umbelloides). Similar to [No. 300a], but grayer; prevailing color of upperparts, including crown, gray; tail always gray. Range.—Rocky Mountains, from Colorado north to latitude 65° in Alaska, east to Mackenzie and poplar woods of western Manitoba. 300c. Oregon Ruffed Grouse (B. u. sabini). Similar to [No. 300], but much darker, prevailing color of upper parts rusty brown; tail always rusty brown. Range.—Pacific coast ranges from Cape Mendocino, California, north to British Columbia.

Ptarmigan

301. Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus). L. 15. Bill large, more than .4 deep at base; tail black, narrowly tipped with white. Ad. ♂ Summer. Throat and upper breast rusty brown. Ad. ♂ Fall. Rustier and more finely marked above. Ad. ♀. Summer. Above black barred with buff and tipped with white; below buff barred with black; middle of belly whitish. Ad. ♀. Fall. Much like fall male. Ads., Winter. White, tail black tipped with white; no black before eye. Notes. Song, kû-kû-kû-kû while ascending five or ten yards in the air; a hard rolling kr-r-r-r when descending. (Nelson.) Range.—Arctic Regions; in America breeding south to Lat. 55° in winter migrating south to Lat. 50°; recorded once from Penobscot Co., Maine, and once from Manchester, Mass. 301a. Allen Ptarmigan (L. l. alleni). Similar to [No. 301], but ♀ more finely marked; shafts of primaries, at all seasons, strongly black spreading to the web of the feather. Range.—Newfoundland. 302. Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus rupestris). L. 14. Bill less than .4 deep at base; tail black. Always to be known from [No. 301] by its smaller bill. Ad. ♂ Summer. Above irregularly barred and mottled with gray and rusty buff; below barred black and white and rusty buff. Ad. ♂ Fall. Above minutely speckled black, gray and buff, the prevailing color being grayish brown. Ad. ♂ Winter. White, lores and tail black. Ad. ♀ Summer. Above black barred with rusty and margined with whitish; below rusty barred with black and tipped with whitish. Ad. ♀ Fall. Like fall ♂. Ad. ♀ Winter. Like winter ♂ but no black before eye. Range.—North America from Gulf of St. Lawrence and higher mountains of British Columbia north to Arctic Regions (except northern Labrador) west through Alaska to Aleutian Islands. 302a. Reinhardt Ptarmigan (L. r. reinhardti). Ad. ♂ Summer. Similar to [No. 302], but "less regularly and coarsely barred above" (Ridgw.) Ad. ♀ Summer. Resembles ♀ of [No. 302]. Ads. Fall. Much grayer than [No. 302] in fall. Ads. Winter. Like [No. 302] in winter. Notes. When courting the male utters a growling kurr-kurr. (Turner.) Range.—Northern Labrador north to Greenland. 302b. Nelson Ptarmigan (L. r. nelsoni). Ad. ♂, Summer. Ground color of upperparts deep umber-brown, very finely and densely vermiculated; chest barred with bright tawny brown and black. Ad. ♀, Summer. Similar to ♂ of [No. 302]. (Ridgw.) Range.—Unalaska, Aleutian Islands.

302c. Turner Ptarmigan (L. r. atkhensis). Lighter in general hue than 302d and without black blotches on upperparts. (Elliot.) Ad. ♂, Summer. "Ground color of upperparts pale raw-umber brown, mixed with pale grayish; chest and neck barred with pale brownish ochre and black." Ad. ♀, Summer. Ground color of upperparts rusty, mixed with pale grayish buff, narrowly and irregularly barred with black; chest and neck coarsely barred with rusty and black. (Ridgw.) Range.—Atka, Aleutian Islands. 302d. Townsend Ptarmigan (L. r. townsendi). Ad. ♂, Summer. Above, breast and flanks raw umber finely vermiculated with black on back; with black blotches on head, neck and upperpart of back and wings. Ad. ♀, Summer. Above ochraceous, blotched and barred with black; lighter below. (Elliot.) Range.—Kyska and Adak, Aleutian Islands. 302.1. Evermann Ptarmigan (Lagopus evermanni). L. 13.9. Ad. ♂, Summer. Above and breast black slightly marked with rusty. Ad. ♀, Summer. Entire body plumage, ochraceous, blotched and barred with black and above tipped with white or ochraceous: below black bars wider and no white tips. (Elliot.) Range.—Attu, Aleutian Islands. 303. Welch Ptarmigan (Lagopus welchi). L. about 14. Bill and tail as in [No. 302]; plumage grayer than in [No. 302]. Ad. ♂, Summer. Above black finely and irregularly marked with wavy lines of buff and white. Ad. ♀, Summer. Above black finely and irregularly barred with buffy, grayish and white. Range.—Newfoundland. 304.? White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus). L. 13. Tail white. Ad. ♂, Summer. Breast barred, black and white. Ad. ♀, Summer. Above black barred with rich buff; below rich buff barred with black. Ads., Fall. Above and breast rich buff finely vermiculated with black. Ads., Winter. Entirely white. Notes. When about to fly and at the beginning of flight a sharp cackle like that of a frightened hen. (Grinnell.) Range.—"Alpine summits of Rocky Mountains; south to New Mexico; north into British America (as far as Fort Halkett, Liard River); west to higher ranges of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia." (Bendire.) 304a.? Kenai White-tailed Ptarmigan (L. l. peninsularis). Similar to [No. 304], but in summer buff markings much paler; in fall, colors much grayer. Range.—Kenai Peninsula, Alaska.