RUFFED GROUSE. 15 
cock, mounted upon some familiar log, which he has 
probably occupied for the same purpose more than one 
season, puffs out his feathers until he appears nearly 
double the ordinary size,and with head drawn backwards, 
tail fully expanded and spread over his back, the tufts 
on either side of the neck raised and pushed forward, and 
wings trailing on the bark, moves with a mincing, affected 
gait along the fallen tree. Suddenly he throws his body 
forward and stretches out his neck, and commences to 
beat the air with his wings, but does not touch his flanks. 
The beats are rather slow and spasmodic at first, and 
then the strokes quicken, growing faster and faster every 
moment, until the wings disappear, leaving to the eye 
nothing but a rufous blur in their place. The muffled 
tone, low at first, swells with the increased rapidity of the 
beats until, in a loud, solemn roll, it is borne through 
the neighboring woods. Suddenly the wings are stilled, 
the roll ceases, and the noble bird raises himself erect 
and listens intently, as if anticipating a reply; but as all 
is quiet and the woods give forth no echoing sound or 
answering challenge, he begins to strut again. There 
has been no answer to the male’s vigorous expression of 
challenge or invitation, but if this action just described 
was performed in the springtime it would be more than 
likely that from out the recesses of a near-by thicket 
some modest, demure hen would be watching and admir- 
ing the pompous male as he executed the fantastic move- 
ments of his haughty parade. Gaining courage at length 
she steps from out her concealment and watches the 
proud male, who, seeing the first member of his harem 
has arrived, redoubles his efforts to make himself capti- 
vating in the eyes of this fair one. Occasionally it is 
quite another visitor that comes to the trysting place, 
in the shape of a rival, and then between the lusty birds 
