98 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Photo by C. H. Morrell. 

 Nest and Eggs of Ruffed Grouse. 



We are very glad to present to our readers, the following article and 

 illustrations concerning the drumming of the Ruffed Grouse, by Dr. Hodge. 

 This gentleman, by the way, is the first that has ever secured pictures of 

 this interesting performance, and, as far as we know, is the first to have 

 successfully raised these birds from the egg, kept them alive and had them 

 lay for him the following year. We hope in a future number to have Dr. 

 Hodge tell you about the domestication of the grouse, but we are especially 

 glad at this time to show you this photographic proof of how a "partridge" 

 really does drum, because of the very many conflicting stories that have been 

 circulated. When I described my experience with drumming grouse in the 

 Bird Magazine several years ago, I was surprised at the numerous criti- 

 cisms that I received from various persons styling themselves as "hunters," 

 "sportsmen" or observers of Nature. Most of these were positive that the 

 bird either struck the wings together over the back or else pounded on the 

 log. One of the latest and most ridiculous explanations, accompanied by 

 numerous "fake" pictures, was that the drumming of a grouse was performed 

 without wing motion, the sound being produced in the throat. The follow- 

 ing pictures and observations readily explode any such ideas. 



