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THE RUFFED GROUSE. 



Tetrao Umbellus, Linn. 



PLATE XLI. Male and Female. 



You are now presented, kind, reader, with a species of Grouse, which, 

 in my humble opinion, far surpasses as an article of food every other 

 land-bird which we have in the United States, except the Wild Turkey, 

 when in good condition. You must not be surprised that I thus express 

 an opinion contradictory to that of our Eastern epicures, who greatly 

 prefer the flesh of the Pinnated Grouse to that of the present species, for 

 I have had abundant opportunity of knowing both. Perhaps, after all, 

 the preference may depend upon a peculiarity in my own taste ; or I may 

 give the superiority to the Ruffed Grouse, because it is as rarely met 

 with in the Southern States, where I have chiefly resided, as the Pinnated 

 Grouse is in the Middle Districts ; and were the bon-vivants of our eastern 

 cities to be occasionally satiated with the latter birds, as I have been, 

 they might possibly think their flesh as dry and flavourless as I do. 



The names of Pheasant and Partridge have been given to the pre- 

 sent species by our forefathers, in the different districts where it is found. 

 To the Avest of the Alleghanies, and on these mountains, the first name 

 is generally used. The same appellation is employed in the Middle Dis- 

 tricts, to the east of the mountains, and until you enter the State of Con- 

 necticut ; after which that of Partridge prevails. 



The Rviffed Grouse, although a constant resident in the districts which 

 it frequents, performs partial sorties at the approach of autumn. These 

 are not equal in extent to the peregrinations of the Wild Turkey, our 

 little Partridge, or the Pinnated Grouse, but are sufficiently so to become 

 observable during the seasons when certain portions of the mountainous 

 districts which they inhabit become less abundantly supplied with food 

 than others. These partial movings might not be noticed, were not the 

 birds obliged to fly across rivers of great breadth, as whilst in the moun- 

 tain lands their groups are as numerous as those which attempt these mi- 

 grations; but on the north-west banks of the Ohio and Susquehanna 

 rivers, no one who pays the least attention to the manners and habits of 

 our birds, can fail to observe them. The Grouse approach the banks of 



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