34 The Ruffed Grouse 



Nesting. When last we left our young hen grouse she had just re- 

 ceived the male in coition. Following her first mating experience she 

 made her way back to the sunny woods road in the near-by hard- 

 woods. As she walked easily along, no doubt daydreaming of the 

 wonderfid new world mifolding to her, she would pick up dead 

 leaves and toss tliem over her shoulder in careless abandon. She defi- 

 nitely was in a homemaking mood. The sunlight shining along the 

 north side of the logging trail made it a delightful spot in the cool 

 morning hours. There were several trees and old stumps close to the 

 trail that offered protection for a home and she determined that she 

 would build somewhere in this area. After looking over the various 

 possibilities she chose an old yellow birch tree about twelve inches 

 through. On the south side, next to the trail, a few sprigs of dead 

 hemlock brush hung about a foot off the gi'ound, the butt end 

 braced on the gi-ound near by. She would build her nest up against 

 the trunk beneath this extra little sprig of camouflage, and so provide 

 additional protection for her coming family. 



Scratching in the leaves, twigs and humus she dug a little hollow 

 about eight inches in diameter and this she lined with dead leaves. 

 Simple as it was, it would serve as home for about five or six weeks 

 to come ( see Plate 3 ) . 



After completing her handiwork she went about the ordinary 

 business of living— eating, sunning, resting, roosting— for several 

 days. She never strayed far from her new headquarters, except for 

 the occasion when she returned the few hundred yards to the edge 

 of the slashing where the old cock grouse lived. As the days wore on 

 it was apparent that a great change was taking place in her body. 

 The region back of the legs became enlarged, and after about a 

 week following nest making, she stayed close by the homesite, 

 finally laying her first egg. After the egg was deposited she carefully 

 covered it with dead leaves. Rarely did she stray from the near 

 vicinity. Successive eggs were laid at intervals of about a day and a 

 half. On one occasion, feeling in an adventurous mood, she barkened 

 to the drum of another cock grouse, and set off to visit him about a 

 quarter mile away near the opposite end of her own woods. This visit 

 added new zest to her exciting new experiences. In a little over two 

 weeks, eleven eggs were laid and the urge subsided. No longer did 

 she have the desire to consort with the cock grouse, no longer did 

 she want to add to the potential family she had already created. Now 



