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When flushed, it springs up with a loud, whirring sound ; at otiiet 

 times in a noiseless manner. 



The Ruffed Grouse is capable of rapid flight. In the autumn of 

 1839, while two of my friends were in pursuit of the American 

 Partridge, their dog put up a Ruffed Grouse. Both gentlemen 

 fired at the same instant — and seeing the bird lodge in a tree, both 

 claimed the prize — each supposing that his shot had taken effect. 

 On arriving at the spot, they found the bird impaled on a small dry 

 branch, without having received a single pellet. On one other oc- 

 casion, a gentleman started a Grouse near Weehawken, New Jer- 

 sey ; before he could fire, the bird dropped dead — on taking it up, 

 he found the skull broken, it having flown against a limb of a tree 

 with such force as to produce instant death. 



Its food consists of seeds and berries of various kinds. During 

 winter, when the ground is covered with snow, it resorts to the 

 orchards, and feeds on the buds of apple trees. I have frequently 

 heard it stated, that at the season mentioned above, when the Ruffed 

 Grouse is "budding," as it is termed, six or eight, or as many as 

 should alight on the same tree, could be successively killed, by 

 commencing with the lowermost one. This I have as frequently 

 heard contradicted, and shall offer my own observations on the 

 subject. Several years since, while spending a winter in the north- 

 ern part of Massachusetts, a section of country where this species 

 abound, I devoted a large portion of my time to Grouse-shooting. — 

 On the farm where I was residing, there was an extensive apple- 

 orchard, situated at the foot of a mountain. During a deep snow, 

 large numbers of the present species of Grouse, would early in the 

 morning, and again toward evening, descend from the mountain 

 on the trees in the orchard, for the purpose of procuring the birds. 

 Hither I repaired, for the purpose of obtaining the desired 

 game ; and having heard my host speak of shooting from ten to 

 twelve from one tree, by taking them in rotation, I of course reck- 

 oned on rare sport — and was not a little disappointed on finding, 

 that after having shot one or two, the rest had flown to their secure 

 retreat in the mountain. Communicating the result to my host, he 

 questioned me as to the mode of procedure — and then informed me, 

 that instead of walking through the orchard after the birds had 

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