946 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



able. The story is an unusual chapter in wild life. 



During the past winter, while the snow was very deep 

 in the woods and it was very difficult for the grouse to 

 obtain food, the men of a logging crew in the Catskills 

 noticed that a partridge (grouse) apparently attracted 

 by the sound of chopping, came to where they were at 

 work and accepted crumbs from their lunch baskets. 

 Her confidence gradually increased and she became a 

 regular guest of the men 

 in this particular cutting, 

 and with her need for food 

 satisfied still seemed to en- 

 joy human companionship. 

 She even became so friend- 

 ly as to perch herself on 

 sled loads of logs and ride 

 towards camp, and upon 

 one occasion the men even 

 had to push her ofif to keep 

 her in the woods where she 

 vas safe. 



When food became boun- 

 Eous, after the snow went 

 iff in the spring, it was ex- 

 pected of course that Biddy 

 would return to her own 

 kind, and be guided by the 

 wild attributes of her na- 

 ture. Strangely enough, 

 however, she continued to 

 appear at about the same 

 spot in the woods, and 

 those who had become fond 

 of her learned that the 

 sound of chopping or the 

 beating of sticks together was sufficient to bring her 

 a long distance. 



Reports of this reached a local sportsman, who, by 

 investigation, confirmed the story, and he later advised 

 the Conservation Commission. The writer, therefore, 

 packed up his camera and moving picture outfit, and 

 with considerable doubt in his heart as to the outcome, 

 visited this spot in the woods in company with his inform- 

 ant, one of the men who had been Biddy's friends during 



THE CONFIDENT APPROACH OF THE FKIENDLY LITTLE BIRD 



Secure in her knowledge that a friend was calling, Biddy finally came, 

 exhausted and warm, after traveling a long way — straight up to us, as 

 if to say "Well, here I am." 



the winter. He was assured that by pounding two sticks 

 together P)iddy would appear to have her photograph 

 taken, but when no bird appeared after beating for some 

 time he became quite skeptical of the whole story. Bid- 

 dy's friend, however, kept insisting she would come if 

 she heard them, even a long way off in the woods. He 

 explained that it might mean a long walk, since 

 grouse do not usually resort to flight, except to escape 



danger. 



Finally it came to look as 

 though the writer's doubts 

 were justified, and the man 

 l)egan to fear that his pet 

 had fallen victim to some 

 gun or animal. They, 

 therefore, ceased "chop- 

 ping" and sat down to eat 

 their lunch. Before they 

 finished the woodsman sud- 

 denly said : "There she is 

 now," and out of the 

 bushes walked Biddy. Her 

 mouth was open, for it was 

 a warm day, and her whole 

 attitude was one of weari- 

 ness, for she had apparent- 

 ly come for a long way. 

 But she came straight up 

 to them, as much as to 

 say : "Well, here I am." 

 She refused food, so her 

 motive was not hunger, 

 but the desire for human 

 companionship. 



The moving pictures 

 taken by the writer show Biddy in a playful mood. She 

 would rush up to them with feathers fluffed out, make 

 a big show of fighting, much like a pet canary, then 

 dart away to renew the attack. Rather rough treat- 

 ment was taken in good part, and plainly understood 

 by her as part of the game. 



Thus it was that Biddy, the grouse, went into the 

 movies, and built for herself a niche of fame in the 

 bird kingdom of the Great North Woods. 



RESEARCH WORK IN RECONSTRUCTION 



A FCJRCE of nearly 400 employes of the United States 

 -^~*-Forest Products Laboratory is working in co-opera- 

 tion with the University of Wisconsin, on research work 

 in connection with reconstruction. 



The laboratory's war time achievements are unique in 

 that practically all of them can be turned effectively to 

 uses of peace. For exam]:)le, the laboratory demon- 

 strated the practicability of artificially drying freshly 

 cut airplane stock, instead of storing it for a year or 



more in sheds to season. At the time of the signing of 

 the armistice, airplane stock was being dried by the 

 laboratory method faster than was necessary to meet 

 the demands of the manufacturers. 



More than 300 kinds of the type developed by the 

 laboratory in various parts of the country, which were 

 used in drying airplane material, gunstocks and vehicle 

 parts, for the use of the Government in war, can now be 

 turned to account in the pursuit of peaceful occupations. 



WE WANT TO RECORD YOUR MEMORIAL TREE PLANTING. PLEASE ADVISE 

 THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



