Where Town and Country Meet 



drumming of the ruffed grouse, the prince 

 of the pine woods. He produces the sound 

 by beating his wings against his inflated 

 breast, and it is at once a lover's summons 

 and a challenge a summons to the hen 

 grouse, and a challenge to any rival cock 

 who may be in the vicinity. It is one of 

 the mysterious sounds of the woods, and 

 you may hear it from April until mid- 

 August, which represents the duration of 

 the breeding season. Was it not Thoreau 

 who said that no country would seem natu 

 ral to him without the drumming of the 

 ruffed grouse ? 



Ah! the spell of the deep pine woods 

 those etherealized bird songs, never so sweet 

 and spiritual, it would seem, elsewhere; 

 the inexpressible, soft, moving music of the 

 pine-needles themselves in the passing 

 breeze; the silence that sometimes falls, so 

 deep and sacred and solemn ; the holy gloom 

 like that of some vast cathedral; the resin 

 ous fragrance rich as incense; the smooth, 

 odorous couch and carpet of brown needles ; 

 the far-reaching vistas down a hundred 

 aisles of stately columns! Beautiful and 

 holy are the pine woods in summer verily 

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