66 Animal Life 
was absolutely im- 
possible to get within 
range of them. On 
the other hand, I have 
hunted birds which 
have been continually 
shot at and driven 
from place to place, 
and they appeared to 
get tamer the more 
they were molested. 
With the blue grouse 
the very opposite 1s 
the case. This hand- 
some bird, the largest 
of his kind, is tame 
and fairly easy to 
shoot on grounds 
where he has not been 
disturbed before.” 
The ruffed grouse, it 
may be mentioned in 
conclusion, is the 
typical representative 
of a small group of 
few hours with my 
pistol. The grouse 
is an excellent table- 
bird, more especially 
so in September, when 
saskatoon, whortle, 
and partridge-berries 
are plentiful. During 
winter they feed on 
the tender tops of pine 
trees when other food 
fails them. A strange 
feature I have noticed 
in the ruffed grouse, 
and in no other bird 
in this country, 1s that 
the further away from 
civilization one gets, 
and the less this bird 
is hunted or shot at, 
the wilder he appears 
to be. I have come 
across coveys of them 
in mountainous 
regions, where they 
never saw the face of Photograph by R. Leckie-Ewing, British Columbia. which all the members 
man before, and it RUFFED GROUSE ON NEST. are North American. 
THE Editor begs again to draw attention to the notice on page 24 of ANIMAL LIFE, 
No. XIII, which contains full particulars of the Photographic Prize Competition open 
to all readers (amateur and professional) of this magazine. The Prizes offered are a 
Silver Medal, Two Bronze Medals, and various consolation prizes of Natural History 
Books. The Competition closes on October 31st, 1903. The Editor is pleased to 
announce that the following gentlemen have kindly consented to act as Judges (hors 
concours): KR. liydekker, Esq., J. M. Swan, Hsq., A.R.A.. W. P. Dando, Esq., F.Z.5., 
and the Editor of ‘ Photography.” 
