With the exception of the Sage Grouse, this species is the largest of the family, being about 20 inches in length. The general tone of its plumage below is gray; above, blackish gray and the tail blackish with a broad terminal band of light gray. They frequent the wooded and especially the coniferous districts, where they build their nests under fallen trees or at the bases of standing ones. They lay from six to ten eggs of a buffy color, sparsely spotted and blotched with brownish. Size 2.00 × 1.40. 297a. SOOTY GROUSE. _Dendragapus obscurus fuliginosus._ Range.--Mountain ranges along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Like the last, this somewhat darker sub-species is met with in timbered regions, where its habits are about the same as those of the Ruffled Grouse, except, of course, that they are not nearly as shy as the Grouse in New England. Their eggs are laid in hollows beside stumps or under logs. The eggs are buff colored, spotted with reddish brown. Size 2.00 × 1.40. [Illustration 180: Mearns Partridge.] [Illustration: Rich buff.] [Illustration: deco.] [Illustration: left hand margin.] Page 179 297b. RICHARDSON'S GROUSE. _Dendragapus obscurus richardsoni._ Range.--Northern Rocky Mountains from central Montana to British Columbia. A dark variety with no terminal band of gray on the tail. Its habits, nesting and eggs are precisely like those of the preceding species. 298. HUDSONIAN SPRUCE PARTRIDGE. _Canachites canadensis canadensis._ Range.--Northern United States and southern British Provinces; west to Minnesota. A dark species, smaller than the last (15 inches long), and easily recognized by its black throat and extensive black patch on the breast. The habits of this species and the two varieties into which it has been sub-divided are the same; as a species, they are very tame, will not fly unless actually obliged to, and frequently allow themselves to be knocked down with sticks. Their nests are hollows in the leaves on the ground, generally under the sheltering branches of a low spreading fir tree. The six to fifteen eggs are a bright buff color, blotched and spotted boldly with various shades of brown. Size 1.70 × 1.25. 298b. ALASKA SPRUCE PARTRIDGE. _Canachites canadensis osgoodi._ Range.--Alaska. This variety is practically the same as the preceding, the birds not always being distinguishable; the nest and eggs are the same as the Canada Grouse. 298c. Canada Spruce Partridge. _Canachites canadensis canace._ Range.--Labrador and the Hudson Bay region. Like the last, this variety is hardly to be distinguished from the Hudsonian. Its nesting habits and eggs are the same. [Illustration 181: Bright buff.] [Illustration: Sooty Grouse. Spruce Grouse.] [Illustration: deco.] [Illustration: right hand margin.] Page 180 299. FRANKLIN'S GROUSE. _Canachites franklin franklini._ Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia.