﻿370 
  

  

  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  time. 
  I 
  have 
  also 
  heard 
  it 
  on 
  moonlight 
  nights, 
  and 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  half 
  past 
  

   three 
  in 
  the 
  morning, 
  the 
  commonest 
  times 
  for 
  the 
  performance 
  being 
  at 
  

   daybreak, 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  forenoon, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  afternoon. 
  

   During 
  the 
  diaimming 
  period 
  the 
  action 
  is 
  repeated 
  ever}^ 
  few 
  minutes. 
  

  

  Nesting. 
  The 
  usual 
  time 
  for 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  incubation 
  is 
  from 
  April 
  

   20 
  to 
  Mav 
  10, 
  rarely 
  as 
  early 
  as 
  April 
  5th. 
  The 
  female 
  chooses 
  her 
  nesting 
  

  

  fiaj*. 
  

  

  

  Photu 
  by 
  James 
  H. 
  .Miller 
  

  

  Ruffed 
  grouse's 
  nest 
  and 
  eggs 
  

  

  site 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  a 
  tree 
  or 
  stump, 
  or 
  beneath 
  a 
  bush 
  or 
  small 
  hemlock: 
  

   scratches 
  a 
  slight 
  depression 
  and 
  lines 
  it 
  with 
  leaves, 
  and 
  deposits 
  from 
  

   8 
  to 
  14 
  eggs 
  of 
  a 
  buffy 
  color, 
  usually 
  plain, 
  but 
  sometimes 
  sparingly 
  speckled 
  

   with 
  brown, 
  averaging 
  1.5 
  x 
  1.18 
  inches 
  in 
  size. 
  The 
  period 
  of 
  incubation 
  

   according 
  to 
  Bendire 
  lasts 
  from 
  24 
  to 
  28 
  days. 
  The 
  yoimg 
  follow 
  the 
  mother 
  

   from 
  the 
  nest 
  about 
  a 
  da}- 
  after 
  hatching 
  and 
  are 
  extremely 
  expert 
  in 
  hiding 
  

   among 
  the 
  dead 
  leaves 
  at 
  the 
  warning 
  note 
  from 
  the 
  mother. 
  She 
  exhibits 
  

  

  