RUFFED “GROUSE. 
ees well-known game bird, the Birch Partridge of 
certain portions of the British Provinces, Partridge 
of the Northern Atlantic States, and Pheasant of Virginia 
and the more Southern States, is distributed throughout 
the eastern portion of the Union from Massachusetts 
to Georgia and westward in the wooded regions of Ohio, 
Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota to the Dakotas. 
North of Massachusetts it intergrades with its subspecies, 
the Canadian Ruffed Grouse, and it is not always an 
easy task to decide as to which form specimens obtained 
within this range really belong. In the Southeastern 
States it is confined mainly to the mountainous parts, 
rarely descending into the valleys or lowlands. 
The habits of this fine bird are pretty well known by 
all lovers of dog and gun, and its wary nature, exceeding 
cunning, and general ability to take very excellent care 
of itself cause it to be regarded as one of the most thor- 
oughly game members of the feathered race. The male 
Grouse drums at all times in the year: in the spring 
as a defiance to his rivals or as a call to the hens to come 
and admire him as he struts in magnificent form upon 
his chosen log; and in summer and autumn, or even 
winter, as an indication of his lusty vigor and general 
satisfaction with himself. The sound heard on these 
occasions is like a deep muffled roll of a drum, even 
likened by some persons to low thunder, and has a great 
ventriloquial power. It is produced solely by the wings, 
and these are not permitted to touch the body. The 
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