

RUFFED GROUSE PARTRIDGE 159 



straight at a distance of not more than from three to 

 thirty feet above the ground. As it approaches the 

 place where it wishes to alight it sets its wings and 

 sails straight for the place and there alights on the 

 ground. I do not think that it ever turns up in the 

 air as a quail does, but on the other hand I have never 

 seen a bird actually alight. In winter I have, however, 

 seen where they had come to the ground after a short 

 flight, and the impression of the bird's breast in the 

 snow two or three inches deep. The breast evi- 

 dently came down very close to the ground, sweeping 

 away the snow, and the grouse came to its feet at 

 once. 



I have seen a bird fly from the top of a high hill to 

 a piece of woods much lower down. It came straight 

 until it was almost over the woods, and then, making 

 a wide half circle, swiftly lowered and alighted among 

 the dry leaves not more than twenty steps from me. 



The various methods by which the grouse avoid ob- 

 servation are little known and are seldom observed by 

 those who are only occasionally in the woods and who, 

 when there, are possessed with the idea that they must 

 kill as many birds as possible in the time at their dis- 

 posal. The ones more likely to see such things are the 

 men who spend much time in the woods and have the 

 leisure to sit down and observe, watching the ways of 

 the wild creatures, which, after a time believing that 

 the intruder has gone away, emerge from their hiding 

 places and resume their usual pursuits. But if the ob- 



