RUFFED GROUSE 



THE ruffed grouse, sometimes called 

 partridge, " cock of the woods," or 

 pheasant, have a wide range of hab- 

 itat in the United States, no less than twenty- 

 six of the states mentioning them in their 

 game-laws. They range from Maine on the 

 north to Dakota on the west, south to Vir- 

 ginia, and are in most of the central and 

 northern central states. They are probably 

 the hardiest birds in many respects of the 

 grouse family. I have never heard of one of 

 them being frozen, however severe the win- 

 ter, and have been out hunting when traces of 

 their scratching would be found, which indi- 

 cated that they were digging down over a 

 foot in the snow to get at buried rose-buds or 

 the roots of willows. What they live on 

 when the snow is deep is a mystery to many 

 of those who have travelled in the woods 

 where they are found; but live they do, and 

 apparently thrive. 



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