422 BONASA UMBELLUS, RUFFED GROUSE. 



Avise entirely differeut. Nor need any one misunderstand the subject 

 through observing that three kinds of Rnfied Grouse {Bnnasa umbellns) 

 are here presented. They are Ruffed Grouse, each and all of them, and 

 he may ignore the A^irieties unless he desires to be very precise. They are 

 merely geographical races of the same bird, differing a little in color 

 according to certain climatic influences to which they are respectively 

 subjected. 



The habits of the Eutfed Grouse are i)erfectly well known to those 

 who have been interested in the matter. The eggs are very character- 

 istic — cream-colored — from a creamy-white to a rich creamy-brown, 

 usually immaculate, or scarcely dotted in minute points, but sometimes 

 with small round spots of pale chocolate, irregularly and sparsely set in 

 among numerous uniform dots. In shape they are very near those of 

 Partridges, approaching the pyriform contour, ver^" broad and blunt at 

 one end and pointed at the other.* They measure about 1.66 inches long 

 by 1.20 broad. 



The •• drumming" of the Ruffed Grouse has always excited interest, 

 and furnished occasion for various speculations upon the way in which 

 the peculiar noise is made. It was at first supposed to be a vocal effort, 

 aud, in fact, the name Bonasa was given on this score ("ftonflSKS,'" a 

 bull, in allusion to the bellowing). This, of course, is entirely errone- 

 ous, the sound being produced with the wings. Au account is given by 

 Mr. Eidgway, in a late number of the "American Sportsman," which I 

 transcribe entire, as it furnishes a resume of various earlier views of 

 ornithologists : 



" I send you a few facts bearing upon the subject of why does the 

 Rufl'ed Grouse drum, which I have been able to gather from some of our 

 best authorities, and supplement them by the opinions of some reliable 

 S})ortsmen of my acquaintance. As regards my own view^s, 1 have none, 

 since my opportunities for observing this species in a state of nature 

 have been very limited, in consequence of its scarcity in the portions of 

 the country where I have hunted. 



"The question of 2vhy the Ruffed Grouse drums is, perhaps, more 

 easily answered than that of hoiv this sound is produced; and, since the 

 latter has been very erroneously described by our highest authorities 

 on ornithology, I impose upon your space by considering both questions 

 together. Audubon's account of the drumming of the Ruffed Grouse is 

 as follows : 



" 'Early in April the Ruffed Grouse begins to drum immediatelj^ after 

 dawn, and again toward the close of the day. As the season advances, 

 the drumming is repeated more frequently at all hours of the day; and 

 where these birds are abundant, this curious sound is heard from all 

 parts of the woods in which they reside. The drumming is performed 

 in the following manner: The male bird, standing erect on a prostrate, 

 decayed trunk, raises the feathers of its body in the manner of the 

 Turkey-cock, draws its head toward its tail, erecting the feathers of the 

 latter at the same time, and raising its ruli' around the neck, suffers its 

 wings to droop, and struts about on the log. A few moments elapse, 

 when it draws the whole of its feathers close to the body, and, stretch- 

 ing itself out, beats its sides with its wings in the manner of the do- 

 mestic cock, but more loudly, and with such rapidity' of motion, after a 

 few of the first strokes, as to cause a tremor in the air, not unlike the 

 rumbling of distant thunder.' (Birds of America, octavo edition, vol. 

 V, pp. 77 and 78.) 



' The egg of oue of our Parriidges {Oreorttjx pictitu) is a perfect miuiature of that 

 of the Kutfecl Grouse, aud ouly distinguishable from the uumarked speciuieus of the 

 latter by its smaller size — 1.45 by 1.10 



