336 Tuttle, Drumming of the Ruffed Grouse. [j u " y 



Professor A. A. Allen, writing in 'American Forestry' for August, 

 1918, describes the drumming as follows: "The drumming sound, 

 which begins with a measured thump-thump-thump — and ends 

 with a loud whirring sound, like the muffled sound of a motorcycle 

 engine — is made by the cock beating the air with his wings. Brac- 

 ing himself on the log with his tail and standing erect, he first 

 strikes his wings together behind his back producing the thump- 

 thump-thump noise of a big drum." 



In reply to my letter asking how he had arrived at this conclusion 

 he says, — " I have never had the opportunity to watch the grouse 

 at sufficiently close range to determine this for myself and am frank 

 to confess that I based the statement upon the photographs and 

 description which appeared in ' Forest and Stream ' and in the ' Bulle- 

 tin of the American Game Protective Association,' where the bird 

 was watched at close range and observations were apparently made 

 for determining this very point. I was also influenced by the 

 similarity of those first few notes to the sounds produced by pigeons 

 and long-eared owls, which are, I believe, without doubt, made by 

 striking the wings together over the back." 



The article on which Professor Allen based his statement (Mr. 

 Vreeland's in 'Forest and Stream' for April, 1918) and the photo- 

 graph on which this contention was based I have already discussed. 

 The question of similarity of sound is interesting, but, for want of 

 observation in relation to it, is of doubtful value in determining 

 the facts. We come back to such observation as shall be considered 

 authoritative. Of Mr. Vreeland's, putting aside the question of 

 photographic proof already referred to, I can only add, that while 

 he witnessed several performances at close range and secured the 

 best series of photographs of the drumming that I have seen, his 

 observations, as recorded, were made, as were his photographs, 

 from the front of the drumming bird and from the side, positions 

 from which it is well nigh impossible to discern whether the wings 

 strike together or not. Somewhere the truth lies hid, and my pur- 

 pose in reopening an old discussion is that others may aid in dis- 

 covering it. When the negative side of the discussion has been 

 settled, however, there still remains the question — if not by this 

 means, how else? 



To say, on the positive side, that the sound of the drumming is 



