The Drumming of the Ruffed Grouse. 95 



too much afraid of the big noise to venture closer than to feel 

 the impact of the air as the bird drummed. His choice of a 

 drumming- place in the midst of a thicket made it impossible to 

 see him until within less than twenty feet. But with ripening 

 years fear of the noise and of the bird which could produce 

 such a noise, lessened, until curiosity to see the bird in the act 

 of drumming entirely overcame fear. 



The method which I found successful in most cases was as 

 follows : The particular drumming place was noted when a 

 bird began a series ^ f drummings, and a start toward it wa« 

 made boldly, but as the place was approached caution became 

 necessary. While still some hundred yards away I made no 

 move forward until the bird began to drum, then rushed for- 

 ward with as little noise as possible as long as drumming con- 

 tinued, stopping abruptly behind some cover when the long roll 

 ceased, to await the next performance When within a short 

 distance of the performer, no advance was made until the be- 

 ginning of the long roll. In this way it was usually posible to 

 approach within ten feet of the bird, provided some tree or 

 stump furnished a good cover to leeward, where his movements 

 could be observed closely and continuously. By this means I 

 have seen the bird performing on logs, on stumps, at the base 

 of large trees, on stones, and on the ground. I have seen them 

 from behind, from the front, and from the side, at distances of 

 ten feet and less during the whole drumming performance. I 

 have even captured the bird just as he was finishing the long 

 roll, by rushing upon him during the later part of the roll. 



One may be hardly certain just what the bird does while 

 drumming, but some things he evidently does not do, and some 

 inferences may be confidently stated. In the first place, he 

 clearly does not strike the side of the log or stone upon which 

 he may be perched, or the tree or ground, with his wings. If 

 he did the wing strokes would certainly leave some marks. 

 The logs chosen are usually more or less covered with moss, 

 and the parts of the log where the birds perform are not worn, 

 but on the contrary, the moss at this place is not disturbed. It 

 has been stated that the sound is produced by the wings strik- 

 ing the sides of the body. Unless my eyes always deceaved me 

 this is not what the birds which i watched did, but the wings 



