TIIE BUFFED GROUSE. 295 



by some mere chance, the least approachable of all wild 

 birds. 



During the latter autumn, they eschew flat, bushy 

 tracts, and even swamps with heavy thickets, their 

 instinct probably telling them that in such covert they 

 are liable to be taken napping. If, however, one have 

 the fortune to find them in such tracts, he is likely to 

 have sport over setters ; and in no other sort of ground 

 do I deem that possible,- as the law now stands. Once, 

 many years since, sporting in the heavy thorn-brakes 

 around Pine Brook, in New Jersey, I found them with a 

 friend in low underwood, and we had great sport, bag- 

 ging eight brace of Ruffed Grouse over points, in addi- 

 tion to some eighteen or twenty brace of Quail. 



In general, however, they frequent either open groves 

 of tall, thrifty timber, with a carpet of wintergreens, 

 cranberries and whortleberries, . which constitute their 

 favorite food ; or the steep mountain-ledges, under the 

 interlaced branches of tall evergreen trees, among brakes 

 of mountain rhododendron, or, as it is commonly called, 

 though erroneously, laurel. In both these species of 

 ground, all being clear below, the birds can hear and see 

 the sportsman long before he can approach them, and 

 take wing, for the most part, entirely out of gun-shot 

 range. If, however, they are surprised unawares, they 

 have a singular tact of dodging behind the first bush, 

 or massive trunk, &nd flying off in a right line, keep- 

 ing the obstacle directly between the sportsman and 



