TETUAUNTU.K— THE GROUSE. 45I 



The lliyiit of this (Jrouso is low, straij^litt'onviirtl, and mroly protvactud 

 more tlian a tow Imudicd yards at a time, ll is somewliut stitl', and i)er- 

 I'oriued with ircv^ueut, almost eoiitiimal, lieatiiii,'s of its wings. When it is 

 ilusiied from its nest, o'' is suddenly startled iwmi the ground by a dog, it 

 rises with a loud whirring sound, whieh noise, however, is not made when 

 the bird ri.ses of its own aceoi'd. Its movements on the ground are very 

 stately and graeeful, e.xeept; when it is approaehed t(" . near, when it runs in 

 a rapid manner, lowers its head, and spreads its tail, and eitiier seeks .shelter 

 or takes to tliglit. When it hides in the bushes, it usually si^uats and 

 remains elose. Tlieyare dillieult birds to shoot on the wing, the more .so tb'it 

 they mak<' \adden and une.xpeeted ehanges in the direetion of their i'..-nt. 

 Wiien tliey light on a tree, they are more readily followed and shot. The 

 prevale;;: notion that, where several (jf these l)irds are in the same tree, 

 sewral may be proeured if you are careful to shoot the lowest one each 

 time, was not verified l>y Mr. Audubon's experience. 



The lov(vseason of the Partridge commences early in March, and is 

 indicated liy the (h'umniing of male liird.s. This sound is i)rodueed liy the 

 male bird only, who, standing on a I'allen log or on an elevated rock in the 

 most retired ])ortion of the woods, lowers his wings, expands his taii, con- 

 tracts his neck, and seems to inllate his whole body. Tiie tufts of feathers 

 on either side of the neck are elevated, and the liird struts and wheels 

 aliont in tiie most pompous manner jiossilile to imagine. After mano'U- 

 vring in this manner for some time, he begins to strike the sides of his own 

 body with his still'ened wings with shf)rt and rapid strokes. These become 

 nunc and more rapid, until the noi.se they ])roduce seems continmnis. These 

 souiiils may be heard at all liours of the day, but more gener.illy early in 

 the morning. Tlie .sound tiius ]iroduced has generally been comi)ared to 

 that jiroduced by beating together two distended liladder.s. l>ut this gives 

 one a very inade(iuate idea of the rolling, reverberating, ventriloquistic 

 noise which tiiese birds thus occasion. It is more like the di.stant and 

 closing reverlierations caused I'y remote thunder, and seems to the listener 

 much ni'urcr than it really is. It may be inutated in several ways, so as 

 even to decei\e the bird, ami to biing him, in a fatal impulse of jealousy, to 

 t' .shot of the sportsman. 



n the s]iring these birds teed on the Ijuds of several kinds of trees, 

 esi)eciaily the birches. In Maine they are i)articularly fond of the buds (if 

 the black birch, which gives to their ilesii a peculiar and very agreeable 

 ilavor, and from tins in certain localities they are known as the Hirch 

 Partridgi^ Tiicy also feed largely on the esculent berries of the sunnner, 

 as raspberries, blueberries, and huckkn)erries, and in the fall become plump 

 and fat, and are esteemed a great delicacy. 



Mr. Audubon states that, as this bird rises from the ground, it utters a 

 cackling note, which it repeats si.x or seven times, and then emits a lisping 

 whistle, like ''e cry of some young biril, which is rather remarkable. When 



