TETRAONID^ — THE G-ROUSE. 451 



The flight of this Grouse is low, straightforward, and rarely protracted 

 more than a few hundred yards at a time. It is somewhat stiff, and per- 

 formed witli frequent, almost continual, beatings of its wings. When it is 

 flushed from its nest, or is suddenly startled from the ground by a dog, it 

 rises with a loud whirring sound, which noise, however, is not made when 

 the bird rises of its own accord. Its movements on the ground are very 

 stately and graceful, except when it is approached too near, when it runs in 

 a rapid manner, lowers its head, and spreads its tail, and either seeks shelter 

 or takes to flight. When it hides in the bushes, it usually squats and 

 remains close. They are difficult birds to shoot on the wing, the more so that 

 they make sudden and unexpected changes in the direction of their flight. 

 When they light on a tree, they are more readily followed and shot. The 

 prevalent notion that, where several of these birds are in the same tree, 

 several may be procured if you are careful to shoot the lowest one each 

 time, was not verified by Mr. Audubon's experience. 



The love-season of the Partridge commences early in March, and is 

 indicated by the drumming of male birds. This sound is produced by tlie 

 male bird only, who, standing on a fallen log or on an elevated rock in the 

 most retired portion of the woods, lowers his wings, expands his tail, con- 

 tracts his neck, and seems to inflate his whole body. The tufts of feathers 

 on either side of the neck are elevated, and the bird struts and wheels 

 about in the most pompous manner possible to imagine. After manceu- 

 vring in tliis manner for some time, he begins to strike the sides of his own 

 body with his stiffened wings with short and rapid strokes. These become 

 more and more rapid, until the noise they produce seems continuous. These 

 sounds may be heard at all hours of the day, but more generally early in 

 the morning. The sound thus produced has generally been compared to 

 that produced by beating together two distended bladders. But this gives 

 one a very inadequate idea of the rolling, reverberating, ventriloquistic 

 noise which these birds thus occasion. It is more like the distant and 

 closing reverberations caused by remote thunder, and seems to the listener 

 much nearer than it really is. It may be imitated in several ways, so as 

 even to deceive the bird, and to bring him, in a fatal impulse of jealousy, to 

 the shot of the sportsman. 



In the spring these birds feed on the buds of several kinds of trees, 

 especially the birches. In Maine they are particularly fond of the buds of 

 the black birch, which gives to their flesh a peculiar and very agreeable 

 flavor, and from this in certain localities they are known as the Birch 

 Partridge. They also feed largely on the esculent berries of the summer, 

 as raspberries, blueberries, and huckleberries, and in the fall become plump 

 and fat, and are esteemed a great delicacy. 



Mr. Audubon states that, as this bird rises from the ground, it utters a 

 cackling note, which it repeats six or seven times, and then emits a lisping 

 whistle, like the cry of some young bird, which is rather remarkable. When 



