RUFFED GROUSE. 75 



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 



