RUFFED GROUSE PARTRIDGE 155 



or even within a covered country bridge. At this time, 

 too, they often fly against houses or fences, or through 

 windows, opened or closed, and in this way many birds 

 are killed. I have personal knowledge of three birds 

 flying against houses, one against a fence and two 

 through windows, opened or closed, on a single farm 

 in Connecticut. 



A correspondent of Forest and Stream says : 



"Once while walking along the street I saw a grouse 

 dusting in the roadway. At first I supposed it was a 

 hen, but as I approached, it* rose, flew straight down the 

 street and in at the opening of the large covered bridge 

 that spanned the Mohawk. The bird lit on a beam near 

 the roof. Getting up to the beam I took the bird off. 

 He remained perfectly motionless, as is their habit 

 when approached by man. This grouse when he rose 

 in the roadway made comparatively little noise. . . ." 



The same writer says : "I recollect an incident that 

 occurred in our city where a grouse flew into a small 

 barn and perched on a beam. The owner of the prem- 

 ises having invited a gentleman into the barn on some 

 business, the guest said to the owner : T see you keep 

 poultry/ 'No/ said the owner, 'I keep no poultry, but 

 my neighbors do, and I wish they would come and 

 take that pullet away. She has been here now 

 three or four days and I am tired of feeding her/ The 

 visitor looked a little more sharply and said : 'That is 

 not a pullet ; that is a partridge' ; and so it was, to the 

 great surprise of the other/' 



The food of the ruffed grouse is very varied. In 



