148 BULLETIN 16 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



have been found by flushing the bird while hunting through heavy- 

 woods in search of hawk's nests. The commonest location is at the 

 base of a tree ; this may be a large oak among heavy deciduous tim- 

 ber, or a birch or other small tree in lighter, mixed woods; several 

 nests have been in dense white-pine groves at the base of a large 

 or a small pine. One nest was beside a rock in mixed woods, one 

 was partially hidden under a corner of a woodpile in open pine 

 woods, and others have been well concealed under fallen dead pine 

 boughs or under old piles of brush. Several have been within 50 

 or 100 yards of a red-shouldered hawk's nest. One that I was watch- 

 ing was near a crow's nest; all the eggs but one were taken from 

 this nest, probably by the crows. Edward H. Forbush (1927) tells 

 of a nest, found by J. A. Farley, that was directly under a sharp- 

 shinned hawk's nest. The nests are merely deep hollows in the 

 ground, lined with whatever material is at hand, usually oak or 

 other hardwood leaves; I have seen nests in pine groves that were 

 lined with nothing but pine needles. There are usually a few 

 feathers of the grouse mixed with the leaves. The female is a 

 close sitter and often does not leave the nest until the intruder is 

 close at hand; but, when approached on a second visit, she is more 

 apt to flush wild. In leaving she flies directly from the nest, if 

 close pressed, with a great whir of wings, which makes the leaves 

 fly and thus partially covers the eggs. Perhaps, on a more leisurely 

 departure, she may cover the eggs more carefully. 



All the nests that I have seen have been on the ground in perfectly 

 dry situations. But Major Bendire (1892) says: k ' Mr. Lynds Jones, 

 of Grinnell, Iowa, found a nest of the Ruffed Grouse in a hollow 

 stump, and Mr. C. M. Jones, of Eastford, Connecticut, found one in 

 a swamp, on a little cradle knoll, surrounded by water. Mr. William 

 N. Colton, of Biddeford, Maine, records a nest found between the 

 stems of three young birches, fully 8 inches from the ground." 

 George M. Sutton (1928) reports two nests found in a sphagnum bog 

 near Hartstown, Pa., one of which was " sheltered by leaves of skunk 

 cabbage." E. A. Samuels (1883) records two instances where this 

 grouse has nested in an abandoned crow's nest in a tree. 



Eggs. — From nine to a dozen eggs constitute the usual set, occas- 

 ionally fewer and often as many as 14. Lester W. Smith sent me 

 a photograph of a set of 23 eggs, found in Connecticut, and he 

 told me that every egg hatched. This was perhaps the product of 

 two females. I believe that ordinarily an egg is laid each day until 

 the set is completed ; but often, especially if bad weather occurs, an 

 interval of a day or two may intervene. E. P. Warner (1911) 

 reported that, in a nest he had under observation, he found 3 eggs 

 on April 17, 4 on the 20th, 6 on the 24th, 10 on the 30th, and 14 on 

 May 7, all of which hatched. 





