50 The Ruffed Grouse 



Her brother ( or half brother ) also looked for an opportune drum- 

 ming territory. Several times he was challenged by other males 

 whose established territory he invaded and each time moved on 

 until he finally located a desirable log that no other grouse immedi- 

 ately claimed. This he successfully defended against later comers 

 and displayed his superiority with all the vigor and arrogance of 

 his father before him. One dawai while he drummed his challenge 

 to the world and paraded his wares on his mossy stage, a little thin, 

 mottled brown and white, hunchbacked animal crept slowly toward 

 him through the near-by hemlocks. The weasel was unappreciative 

 of the fine points of the grouse's art; to it this creature was just an- 

 other opportunity for a full belly. With a final spring from behind 

 the log the weasel sank its teeth into the grouse's neck. A hectic 

 stmggle among flying feathers lasted but a few minutes. 



As we complete the wheel of fortune of our grouse for the year, 

 we note that of thirteen grouse early in June— a father, mother, and 

 eleven youngsters— only two remain, a male and a female. Thus, al- 

 though eighty-five per cent of the birds have succumbed, we have 

 as many as we started with. The species carries on as plentiful as 

 before. What more can we ask? 



In recounting the biography of a grouse family around the seasons, 

 I have attempted to cover the life history and habits of the species. 

 Inevitably there would be some items that would not fit easily into 

 this story. These are given below in several subheadings. 



Territory. The term territory has been used several times, and in 

 two different senses. In connection with the breeding season the 

 male bird establishes an area centering around his favorite drum- 

 ming log, from which he will drive out all other grouse. Thus he 

 considers this his own backyard and, except for the reception of 

 females when he is in the mating cycle, will permit no competition 

 therein from his ov^ai species. Nice (1941) calls this the "mating 

 station only" type of territory, one of six types recognized. The size 

 of this territory is difficult to ascertain and undoubtedly varies 

 greatly, depending upon the population density and the character- 

 istics of the habitat. The maximum average size may be derived 

 by dividing the available covert area by the number of male terri- 

 tories. This is no doubt too large for a true average, since much of 

 the area, and notably the nesting localities, are often not frequented 



