THE OOLOGIST. 



171 



It is conducted on natural lines by the 

 president of a university in a sister 

 city. The first sets of eggs were hatch- 

 ed in an incubator one year ago. A 

 cold wet June in the woods will kill 

 two-thirds of the wild broods, but the 

 mortality from this cause was not 

 as great with the protected chicks By 

 turning over logs and stumps in the 

 woods, the proper larvae were pro- 

 cured to nourish the game infants. 

 Later in the feeding process, meal- 

 worms were used to advantage, and 

 when maturing the required amount of 

 grain given. Good covered runs and 

 shady bowers were furnished the 

 growing covies, with sanding and bud- 

 ding places. In short, by constant at- 

 tention to their necessities and wants, 

 as if in a state of nature, the birds 

 throve exceptionally well, gradually 

 losing the inbred fear of man by his 

 familiarizing care After a year's de- 

 votion, the gamekeeper is being re- 

 warded by having the birds come at 

 his call and by some especial pets 

 perching on his hands and flying upon 

 his shoulders. 



The breeding season was eagerly 

 awaited, so it was no surprise when 

 two of the young hens mated and very 

 soon began to lay. Drumming was so 

 long delayed it was looked for with 

 feverish impatience. But early last 

 week, to the delight of all looking for 

 the wonderful performance, one of the 

 cocks began to drum. For nuptial rea- 

 sons, this year-old cock is kept part of 

 the time in a separate enclosure, 

 where he is often heard drumming for 

 his wives. But when returned to the 

 harem histympani were silent till again 

 separated from them. On the 28th of 

 May, this year, a hen came off with 

 nine young grouse; on the 29th, when 

 I saw the chicks, they were strong and 

 lively, acting much like the tiniest tots 

 in the poultry yard. In another se- 

 cluded corner I saw a hen grouse close 

 covering her clutch of ten eggs. In 



fifty sets of grouse eggs found in New 

 London county, I never saw one over 

 fourteen. But Mr. Brand found one in 

 Rockwell's woods of sixteen, and L. E. 

 Rawson of North Woodstock found 

 one in his own woods of sixteen. 



Success in this trial will determine 

 many things. It will show that the 

 hens and cocks are not monagamous, 

 tell the exact time of incubation, and 

 will forever settle the much argued 

 question about the way the so-called 

 drumming is produced For other rea- 

 sons every detail of this new feat of 

 domestication will be watched and 

 chronicled with interest. The present 

 season's game chicks are the second 

 generation in confinement. With add- 

 ed knowledge of their requirements, 

 the birds should prove better than the 

 first year's output. By the fourth 

 generation of home-bred grouse the 

 wild taint should be eliminated and 

 the reclaimed ruffed grouse prove a 

 toothsome addition to our pheasant- 

 rles. Then for your after-play bite 

 your waiter can more easily and 

 with a more modest bill fill your or- 

 der for "'a broiled chicken pat." 



C. L. RAWSON. 



Norwich, Conn. 



The Oology of a Farm. 



Tv/o miles west of Statesville, in 

 Iredel county. Western North Carolina, 

 is a farm of about 250 acres. It is 

 bordered on one side by Third creek, 

 a quiet, shallow stream, flowing lazily 

 on between miles and mile of bottom 

 land on either bank. From the bot- 

 tom the ground rises abruptly , form- 

 ing mumerous hills an^d knolls, seared 

 and broken by woodland,, brooks and 

 washes. 



For fifteen years this has been the 

 chief scene of my cares as an egg- 

 crank: and for fifteen years I have 

 found many birds breeding abundantly 

 there. Marsh birds are not numerous. 

 Of these the Green Heron is most com- 

 mon, finding in the wet meadows an 

 abundant pasturage and an ideal 

 breeding place among the neighboring 

 pine-clad hills. The Snowy Heron 



