THE OOLOGIST 



87 



permit itself to be almost trod upon 

 before leaving its nest. 



It is noted as a wild denizen of the 

 forests and is usually looked upon as 

 is also the Prairie Chicken, as un- 

 tamable, but this is erroneous; for the 

 Ruffed Grouse has been tamed within 

 a coir.i)aratively short time, until it 

 was nearly as domestic as a Bantum 

 chicken. It is a useful bird in that 

 it desticvs vast numbers of insects 



which would otherwise pray upon the 

 forest trees; and great quantities of 

 weed seeds, besides being excelled by 

 but few of its tribe as a table bird. 

 The splendid plate of the nest and 

 eggs of this species appearing in this 

 issue of THE OOLOGIST, is made 

 from a photo taken by H. E. Bishop 

 in the vicinity of Philadelphia and is 

 truly a first class rei)resentation of 

 the real home of this grouse. 



No. 29. Nest and eggs of Ruffed Grouse. 



-Photo by H. E. Bishop 



THE "RED-LEGGED" BLACK DUCK. 

 The case cf Dwight vs. Brewster, IX 

 RE the Red Legged Black Duck has 

 again broken cut to the tune of elev- 

 en pages of space in the July Issue 

 of The Auk — and the end is not yet. 



coi:l] these distinguisheil gentlemen 

 acquire ty rearing a few Black Ducks 

 in confinemert and ascertair.ing 

 whether cr net the Red-Legged and 

 common varieties would develop from 

 the same brood? Did it ever occur 



Query — How much information to you? 



