THE RUFFED GROUSE 



THE Ruffed Grouse, the finest and most famous 

 game-bird of the northern woods, was formerly 

 very abundant. Its numbers have greatly decreased 

 Like the bobwhite, it responds to protection and may be 

 raised under artificial conditions. It eats nearly sixty 

 kinds of wild fruit; beechnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, acorns, 

 and weed seeds form a large part of its diet. It eats 

 some insects, the most important being beetles of various 

 kinds. 



Mr. Forbush says: "The female alone undertakes the 

 task of incubation and the care of the young. . . . All the 

 young grouse in a nest hatch at nearly the same instant; 

 their feathers dry very rapidly, and they are soon ready to 

 run about. . . . They run about, stealing noiselessly along 

 among the dead leaves, under the foliage of ferns and 

 shrubbery. . . . Meanwhile, the mother marches slowly 

 in the rear, perhaps to guard them against surprise from 

 any keen-scented animal that may follow on the trail. 

 She seems to be always on the alert, and a single warning 

 note from her will cause the young birds to flatten them- 

 selves on the ground or to hide under leaves, where they 

 will remain motionless until they are trodden upon, rather 

 than run the risk of betraying themselves by attempting to 

 escape. 



"During the fall, the Grouse keep together in small 

 flocks. Sometimes a dozen birds may be found around 

 some favorite grape vine or apple tree, but they are usually 

 so harried and scattered by gunners that toward winter die 

 old birds may sometimes be found alone. 



"As winter approaches, this hardy bird puts on its 

 *snowshoes,' which consist of a fringe of homy processes 

 or pectinations tliat grow out along each toe, and help to 



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