﻿368 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  grouse 
  in 
  all 
  directions 
  from 
  the 
  locality 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  reared. 
  They 
  

   then 
  appear 
  in 
  unusual 
  places 
  and 
  even 
  enter 
  the 
  villages 
  and 
  cities. 
  At 
  

   this 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  many 
  suppose 
  that 
  grouse 
  become 
  bewildered, 
  and 
  

   they 
  certainly 
  exhibit 
  strange 
  instincts 
  at 
  this 
  season. 
  Many 
  instances 
  

   are 
  recorded 
  of 
  their 
  having 
  flown 
  directly 
  into 
  cities 
  and 
  through 
  plate 
  

   glass 
  windows 
  or 
  into 
  houses 
  in 
  the 
  country, 
  or 
  standing 
  stupidly 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  Photo 
  by 
  James 
  H. 
  Miller 
  

  

  Ruffed 
  grouse 
  on 
  nest 
  

  

  porch 
  like 
  tame 
  chickens 
  when 
  people 
  were 
  about, 
  or 
  of 
  alighting 
  in 
  trees 
  

   over 
  much 
  frequented 
  sidewalks 
  and 
  staring 
  at 
  people 
  passing 
  underneath, 
  

   or 
  being 
  flushed 
  from 
  a 
  garden 
  or 
  dooryard 
  and 
  flying 
  directly 
  against 
  the 
  

   . 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  barn 
  nearby. 
  I 
  am 
  inclined 
  to 
  think 
  that 
  grouse 
  at 
  this 
  season 
  

   are 
  not 
  afflicted 
  by 
  any 
  nervous 
  disease, 
  but 
  have 
  an 
  instinct 
  to 
  wander 
  

   into 
  new 
  localities, 
  an 
  impulse 
  which 
  is 
  of 
  great 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  species 
  in 
  

   restocking 
  depleted 
  coverts, 
  and 
  in 
  introducing 
  new 
  strains 
  of 
  blood 
  in 
  

  

  