THE RUFFED GROUSE. 101 



tracts their attention. At length curiosity overcomes timidity, 

 and they advance to examine it. The hunter takes advantafire 

 of this trait. Concealing himself, he attaches a red or white 

 flag to his ramrod, and with it attracts the animal within 

 range of his rifle. Their sense of smell is very acute, conse- 

 quently the hunter should always keep to the leeward of them. 

 They are among the fleetest of all animals. They hihahit all 

 the western part of North America from the Saskatchewan 

 to the plains of New Mexico. Their flesh is inferior to that 

 of the deer. 



SQUIRREL HUNTING. 



Squiri'els are usually considered "small game" by trappers, 

 requiring more ammunition to kill them than they are worth. 

 There are times, however, when they furnish an acceptable 

 addition to woodland fare. The best way to hunt them is 

 this : Find a piece of woods where they abound. Go into 

 the woods and seat yourself on a fallen tree or rock. Remain 

 motionless and quiet. Soon you will begin to hear the Squir- 

 rels at their work or see them among the trees. By patience 

 and the most quiet strategic movements you will soon get a 

 shot. Several may sometimes be shot from one position, in a 

 short time. The great point in Squirrel hunting is to avoid 

 all unnecessary moving about. 



GROUSE. 



The Grouse family furnishes the trapper his most desirable 

 winged game, throughout the world. In this country the 

 leading kinds of Grouse are the following: — 



THE RUFFED GROUSE. 



This bird is known in New England as the Partridge, and 

 in some of the Southern and Middle States as the Pheasant. 

 Neither of these names is the proper one, for this bird belongs 

 to neither the partridge nor the pheasant families. The wild 

 turkeys are the only representatives of the pheasant family 

 in North America ; and the so-called quail is our true par- 

 tridge. Let us hereafter, not only as naturalists, but as hunters 

 and trappers, call this noble bird by its true American name 



