GROUSE 



2628. 



GROUSE 



Rod clover and alfalfa and early garden 

 vegetables are relished by this active little 

 creature. When it leaves home for a meal, it 

 first squats on its haunches before the door, to 

 take a survey of the premises, turning its 

 sharp eyes and ears in all directions for sights 

 and sounds of danger. If the way is clear, off 

 it bounds to the field or garden. During the 

 fall and winter, between late September and 

 March, the ground hog retires to its burrow 

 for a long winter's sleep (see HIBERNATION). 



There is a tradition, absolutely valueless, 

 that on the second day of February it emerges 

 from its burrow to view the weather conditions. 

 If the sun is shining and the ground hog can 

 see its shadow, it is a sign that spring is still 

 six weeks off, and the wise little animal goes 

 hack to bed to escape continued cold weather. 

 The flesh, especially that of the young ground 

 hog, has an agreeable flavor. The name 

 ground hog is self-explanatory; woodchuck is 

 a corruption of wee jack, which is derived from 

 the Cree Indian name otchoch. 



GROUSE, grow, a group of dull-plumaged, 

 scratching game birds common in the northern 

 parts of America, Europe and Asia. In addi- 

 tion to those shy, wily drummers of wood- 

 lands, the grouse proper, this family includes 

 the bobwhite, or quail, capercailzie, ptarmigan 

 and partridge, each described under its title in 

 these volumes. 



General Characteristics. Like fowls, grouse 

 have four toes, the hind one raised above the 

 ground. Feathers conceal the nostrils and fill 

 the nasal groove. As these birds frequent high 

 altitudes, most species have feathered legs to 

 keep those parts from being frozen. They 

 have well-developed breast muscles, which are 

 the most edible portions of the birds. The 

 heads of grouse are high at the rear and con- 

 tain a wonderfully-developed brain, and the 

 rare intelligence shown by the birds in elud- 

 ing sportsmen makes the chase for them 

 interesting. It is the habit of grouse to lie 

 hidden until the huntsman's trained dogs are 

 upon them and then to fly off rapidly with a 

 great whirring of their stiff-feathered, concave 

 wings. Under such circumstances a man must 

 be cool and quick to shoot the bird. 



In breeding season the males become fierce 

 and fight each other viciously after dancing, 

 booming, drumming and performing before the 

 hens. The victorious male then mates with 

 all the females of the "harem" for which he 

 has fought. As soon as the females begin to 

 sit, however, in their well-hidden nests on the 



ground, the male leaves them alone to take 

 entire care of the young. There are usually 

 from ten to fifteen rich buff, brown-dotted eggs, 

 which hatch into downy, brown birds. These 

 chicks leave the nest almost immediately after 

 breaking from the shell. When the brood is 

 in danger, the mother grouse give< a shrill 

 call and the chicks quickly scamper to hiding 

 places; she then pretends to be lame to attract 

 attention to herself and to lead the intruder 

 away from her babies, but when the enemy 

 approaches too close she quickly flies away. 

 When the young grouse no longer need care, 

 father grouse returns and joins the flock, or 

 covey. 



In the summer, grouse feed chiefly on insects 

 and berries. In autumn, grainfields are fre- 

 quently visited, for seeds are added to their 

 diet, and in winter, when snow covers the 

 ground, catkins, leaves and buds constitute the 

 food of grouse families. 



Ruffed Grouse. One of the most important 

 American game birds is the superb ruffed 

 grouse, the pheasant of the South, the partridge 

 of woods of the North. It is a handsome 

 brownish bird, nearly a foot and a half long. 



THE RUFFED GROUSE 



On each side of the neck is a ruff or tuft of 

 shiny, black feathers. The range of ruffed 

 grouse is the Eastern United States and South- 

 ern Canada, west to Minnesota, south to 

 Georgia, Mississippi and Arkansas. It is 

 famous alike for its delicious, tender flesh and 



