92 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



having seen birds emerge at least six feet from where 

 they entered, the writer believes them capable of forcing 

 their way through very light snow, after entering in the 

 manner described. 



One cold morning, I started a ruffed grouse, which 

 flew into the deep snow less than 100 yards away. Keep- 

 ing the spot in view while making a cautious approach, 

 I soon saw the bird stick its head out of the snow, about 

 six feet from where it entered, and, after a hasty survey, 

 take wing. 



Several times since, I have seen burrows in the snow 

 evidently made by these birds. Although many believe 

 that birds thus concealed may be easily captured, it 

 will be found a very difficult thing to do. I do not pos- 

 itively know of one having been taken in this way. 



There is also a general belief that when crusts form 

 over the snow, large numbers of birds are imprisoned and 

 perish. In support of this, several ornithologists point to 

 a scarcity of birds during seasons succeeding winters 

 noted for deep snows, and weather favorable to the 

 formation of crusts, and to the finding of dead birds 

 after the snow has melted in the spring. While it is true 

 that naturalists, who are especially active in the spring, 

 should know more about this subject than the sportsman, 

 who rarely enters the woods earlier than July, I incline 

 to the opinion that comparatively few grouse die from 

 this cause. 



In the boreal regions, where thaws and rains are 

 infrequent in the winter, this practice of roosting under 

 the snow may be common, but south of Latitude 45, 

 everyone who has explored the woods on cold morn- 

 ings knows it to be rare, from the fact that grouse are 

 found in trees, fallen tops, or loose brush-heaps. 



Authors agree that the bird enters only dry, light 

 snow. To imprison them, then, the weather must sud- 



