RUFFED GROUSE PARTRIDGE 153 



"I have once seen the old cock with the brood, and 

 on this occasion he gallantly defended the rear until 

 the rest made good their escape. He stood with wings 

 raised and tail spread, ready to fight the intruder. I 

 have seen the young fly into a tree when still in the yel- 

 low down, and when not larger than a pine grosbeak 

 they will fly long distances, giving the alarm note of 

 'quit, quit' just like an old bird. The young a few 

 days old are shyer than the wariest adult. The noise 

 made by the ruffed grouse in flying 'is made on purpose' 

 to alarm others in the vicinity; they can fly as quietly 

 as any bird if they choose. 



"The males never congregate during the breeding 

 season or after, and I never but once saw two adult 

 males within one-fourth of a mile of each other between 

 April and September. I consider that the drumming 

 is not a call to the females, as they drum nearly or 

 quite as much in the fall as in the spring, and I have 

 heard them drumming every month in the year. I have 

 never seen the least evidence that the ruffed grouse is 

 polygamous." 



With this last statement I quite agree. I know of 

 no evidence to justify the common assumption that this 

 grouse is polygamous. 



When the young birds are two or three weeks old 

 their wing feathers have grown enough to enable them 

 to fly, and sometimes, if suddenly surprised, some of 

 them may leave the ground and fly up into low 

 branches, where they stand motionless with their necks 



