43 



Every sportsman knows the RUFFED 

 GROUSE during the fall hunting sea- 

 son but comparatively few know them 

 during the rest of the year, when their 

 habits are the most interesting. April 

 is the "drumming" month. The cock 

 grouse are then selecting partners for 

 the season. 



Each grouse has his favorite drum- 

 ming log or rock. Early in the morn- 

 ing he visits it, struts up and down a 

 few times with head back, ruffs extend- 

 ed and tail spread wide over the back; 

 then lie looks carefully about him, 

 stands quite erect, with tail horizontal 

 and beats the air with his wings. -first 

 a thump, thump, thump, but gradually 

 increasing in speed and resonance until 

 a vibrating drumming sound results. 

 While doing this he is oblivious to 

 everything but after finishing he listens 

 intently for an answer to his challenge. 



Their dozen or more pale brown eggs 

 are laid in a hollow among the dead 

 leaves usually under the protection of 

 a log or against the base of a stump. 



They are not nearly so abundant as a few years ago; in 

 fact, in many of their old haunts they are all gone. Cold 

 and rainy weather and the hunter and his dog are about 

 equally to blame for their passing away. In fall they 

 gather in flocks and frequent stubble, feeding upon grain 

 and also upon insects as long as they are available. Our 

 Quail, as they are most often called, are of the greatest 

 value economically, this value far exceeding that of their 

 worth as market or table birds. 



In fall and winter they are quite silent, but we sometimes 

 hear a softly repeated call note used to keep the flock from 

 becoming widely separated when feeding and also to call 

 them together after they have become dispersed for any 

 reason. In spring and summer the loud, clearly whistled 

 "Bob-white" or "Bob-bob-white" is one of the sweetest 

 sounds of nature. They nest in the tall grass or weeds 

 bordering fields, or in bush-dotted pasture land. The 

 entrances is often made tunnel-like by arching the grasses 

 over so as to completely conceal the numerous white eggs. 



Several Plover and many kinds of Sandpipers pass 

 through during migrations. We will mention but a few 

 of them here, but a complete list is given in the back of 

 this booklet. 



