THE RUFFED GEOUSE. 173 



several hundred yards and alighted on the top of a 

 magnificent fir, which was, apparently, two or three 

 hundred feet high. We followed them and found 

 their retreat without much trouble, as we knew they 

 would not deviate from a straight course in flight, and 

 would seek refuge in the highest tree on their line. 



The Kentuckian wanted the " scatter-gun men" to 

 open fire on them, but the first shot they fired proved that 

 they could not reach the fugitives, owing to the altitude 

 of the tree. The riflemen next essayed it, and the hunt- 

 er was successful in winging one and bringing it tumb- 

 ling down. Its descent caused the others to fly away 

 with a loud cluck of alarm, and though all fired at them, 

 they escaped scatheless. We started after them, and 

 soon descried them perched on a dogwood tree, and there 

 they remained until all were picked olf with the rifles, 

 for there was no sport in shooting them with a shot gun. 

 That brood yielded us seven tender birds, which Avere 

 almost as fat as butter. The Kentuckian told me that 

 a family of ruffed grouse could be kept in a tree until 

 they were killed if a person talked or whistled, as the 

 sound of the human voice either terrified or enchanted 

 them so much that it seemed to stupefy them. We met 

 another small pack which were feeding on blueberries, an 

 hour later. These fled on seeing us, but they did not go far 

 before they alighted on a tree, and there they remained 

 until they were picked off one by one, as those on the 

 lower perches were bagged first. 1 descried several others 

 in a tall fir, half an hour after this, and managed to flush 

 them by yelling and hurling stones at them. As they 

 flew away in a body, and rather slowly, I was able to 

 empty both barrels into them. 1 killed a leash; and my 

 companions were proportionately successful. I was in- 

 debted to my field-glass for this score, as I could not have 

 seen the birds without it. A field-glass is, m fact, actu- 

 ally necessary in wood-grouse shooting, as the plumage 



