174 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 



of the birds resembles the foliage of the trees so much in 

 hue that it is an exceedmgly diflticult matter to distin- 

 guish them apart, especially if the grouse roost high. 

 By using my glass freely I was enabled to bag seven brace 

 of grouse that day, most of which were shot on the wing 

 while they were flying from tree to tree. That was the 

 largest number I ever shot in a day, as I never killed for 

 the sake of making a big bag. One reason for my success 

 on this occasion was, that my companions gave me shots 

 which properly belonged to themselves, and acted the 

 part of beaters rather than that of friendly rivals. The 

 birds were also remarkably abundant, and being young 

 and inexperienced, they allowed us to approach them 

 to within a few yards before they attempted to fly. We 

 averaged twenty brace each during the week that we 

 spent in that neighborhood, although we did not go ten 

 miles from the house in any one direction. We experi- 

 enced very little difficulty in killing the birds when we 

 found them; but I must say that the majority of them 

 were shot on their perches by my comrades. 



I devoted most of the time I was in the district to 

 studying bird life in the forest, and but for this, I would, 

 I think, have made a better score. I was satisfied, how- 

 ever, as it presented a strong contrast to one 1 had made 

 on a previous occasion in Pennsylvania, where three day's 

 trudging brought me only one grouse, and that a poor 

 creature which was almost eaten alive by wood ticks. 

 When 1 left that section of California, I took away many 

 pleasant memories, not the least of which were con- 

 nected with ruffed grouse, and that fine type of a Western 

 hunter, the hospitable Kentuckian. 



