The Ruffed Grouse. 289 



of black ; tail, ash, sprinkled with reddish brown ; legs, very- 

 pale ash." 



This bird breeds all over the United States, from Massachusetts 

 to Texas, and thence northerly to the upper tributaries of the 

 Missouri River. The generic name is Greek, ortyx a quail. 



The Ruffed Grouse. — [Tetrao Umbellus.) 



This bird is commonly called " the Partridge" in Canada and 

 the Eastern United States, while in the West it is called the 

 Pheasant. Next to the wild turkey it is considered to surpass as 

 an article of food all other land birds of America, while to the 

 sportsman and the student of nature its habits are full of interest. 

 It is found in all the United States as far south as Maryland, and 

 in all the British Provinces as far north as the Soscatchawan 

 River. Its geographical distribution is therefore much more 

 extensive than that of the American Partridge, ( Ortyx Virginiana.) 



These birds love to frequent the craggy sides of hills, and moun- 

 tains, and also during the breeding and summer season prefer the 

 borders of open spaces, such as beaver meadows or tracts where 

 the trees have been destroyed by fire. Its food consists of seeds 

 and berries of all kinds ; and in the winter when the ground is 

 deeply covered with snow in all the northern portion of their 

 territory, the Grouse feed principally upon the buds of trees such 

 as those of the birch and soft maple. They spend the greater 

 portion of their time upon the ground in search of food. " The 

 female makes her nest in May, beside a prostrate tree, or at the 

 foot of a low bush, on the ground, in a spot where a heap of dried 

 leaves has been formed by the wind. The nest is composed of 

 leaves or dried twigs. The female lays from five to twelve eggs 

 which are of a uniform dull yellowish colour, and are proportion- 

 ate in size to the bird. She never covers them on leaving the 

 nest, and in consequence, the raven and the crow, always on the 

 look out for such dainties, frequently discover and eat them. 

 When the female is present, however, she generally defends them 

 with great obstinacy, striking the intruder with her wings and 

 feet, in the manner of the common hen. 



" The young run about and follow the mother the moment after 

 they leave the egg. They are able to fly for a few yards at a time, 

 when only six or seven days old, and still very small. The mother 



D 



