RUFFED GROUSE. 77 



position, and puts the first tree between the gun and its 

 body. Usually not many adult birds are found together, 

 five or six perhaps, rarely more, and they never rise all 

 at once, but two or possibly three together, followed by 

 the others singly. As the danger to themselves ap- 

 proaches nearer, occasionally a bird will lie so close that 

 it will permit the sportsman to pass it, and then suddenly 

 bursts away from behind him. I have never noticed any 

 apparent retention of the scent by this bird after alight- 

 ing, as is the case with Bob White, although I must 

 acknowledge that there have been times when, after care- 

 fully marking some spot where a Grouse was seen to 

 alight, it was impossible to find the bird, even after the 

 ground had been thoroughly gone over by good dogs. 

 Where they go to on such occasions is a mystery 

 which, however, only increases our admiration for their 

 cleverness. 



The nest of the RufTed Grouse is merely a hollow 

 scratched in the ground, usually in well-concealed spots, 

 beneath some bush or log, or in a dense thicket, along- 

 side some overhanging rock, or in the tangled top of 

 some fallen tree or underbrush that lies matted together 

 in a confused mass several feet deep. Again it is some- 

 times placed in quite open situations without any attempt 

 at concealment whatever, showing a trusting and confid- 

 ing disposition rarely found in this bird unless in districts 

 where it is Tittle or never disturbed. The hollow is lined 

 with grass, leaves, needles from the pine tree, and similar 

 materials, distributed in a rather careless way, and, on 

 an average, perhaps ten eggs are deposited, of varying 

 shades of buf¥ dotted with different sized spots of a pale 

 reddish brown color. Incubation commences about the 

 beginning of May and lasts, generally, from three to four 

 weeks, the last being more nearly the correct time. The 



