260 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



fine Grouse, and, from appearances this day, we had reason 

 to calculate upon a continuation of success on the morrow. 

 We were not disappointed, for by ten o'clock the next 

 morning, we had secured three brace more; but the sun 

 coming out very warm, or, as our worthy guide remarked, 

 *' rather hottish," we concluded to start for New York, in 

 order that we might carry our birds home in good order. 

 We arrived in our fair city on the 22d, highly gratified 

 with our excursion, and had the pleasure of surprising our 

 sporting friends, with rather an uncommon show of prime 

 game. J. S. 



Neiv York, Nov. 10, 1831. 



HABITS OF THE RUFFED GROUSE, OR PHEASANT. 

 (Tetrao umbellus.J 



On reading the anecdote of Professor Green in your in- 

 teresting work some time since, on the stupidity of this 

 bird, it brought strongly to my recollection the fact of 

 having seen a fine male of the species, confined in a wooden 

 cage, in the possession of Isaac Deniston, Esq., of this city, 

 which had been taken a few days previous under circum- 

 stances verv similar. This was in the fall of 1814, it was 

 discovered early in the morning seated in the piazza near 

 the door of that gentleman's dwelling, and without difiiculty 

 made captive. This bird was kept about one week and 

 then presented to a friend residing in Greenbush, opposite 

 the city, here it remained about the same length of time, 

 when by some accident it perished. 



In conversing on the subject, a few days since, with a 

 friend of mine in this city, a genuine sportsman and an ac- 

 curate observer of every thing appertaining to the sports of 

 the field, he informed me that, about three years since, 

 in the fall of the year, being on a shooting excursion in the 

 neighbourhood of Claverack, Columbia county. New York, 

 he obtained a fine living specimen of this bird, from a gen- 

 tleman residing at that place, who stated to him, that it had 

 been captured a day or two previous by one of his domes- 

 tics, in the cellar-way of his dwelling. This was brought 

 with him to the city; in a few days it began to droop, and 

 died in the space of a week of its confinement. In both of 

 these cases, the individuals who captured them were of 

 opinion, they had been frightened by a hawk or some other 

 bird of prey. 



Early in the morning of a severe cold day in the winter, 

 about fifteen years since, I saw a number of lads pelting with 

 frozen flakes of snow some object which had taken its sta- 

 tion on the roof of a one story dwelling, situated in the old- 



est and most populous part of our city. On observing it 

 attentively, I discovered it to be a Ruffed Grouse; it sat near 

 the chimney, as if dozing, apparently unconscious of the 

 many missiles which flew in every direction about it; one 

 at length struck it lightly on the wing, it stretched forth its 

 neck a moment, as if for recollection — shook its plumage — 

 glid silently over the house, and disappeared from my sight. 



The winter was remarkably severe. A large quantity of 

 snow had fallen, and entirely covered the ground for an 

 unusual space of time; when the spring returned and nat'ire 

 had once more put forth her bloom, the farmers in the 

 vicinity were astonished at discovering a considerable num- 

 ber of the bones and partially decayed carcases of this spe- 

 cies of Grouse, strewed along the hedges, and in the deep 

 woods in the neighbourhood of their dwellings.* This 

 mortality they attributed to their usual food being buried 

 too deep beneath the snow for them to obtain access to, con- 

 sequently, they perislied from hunger. On learning this 

 fact, during the following summer, and hearing it repeatedly 

 since that time, I naturally concluded that this bird had 

 been compelled to seek among the habitations of man, the 

 food necessary for its existence, which nature had denied it 

 elsewhere. I have now no doubt but its appearance in the 

 city, was more properly occasioned by the annoyance of 

 some bird of prey. 



Yours, &c. 



JAMES EIGHTS. 



Jllbany, Nov. 1, 1831. 



BASS FISHING IN THE WEST. 



Messrs. Editors: 



There is an excellent essay on the "Usefulness of Sport- 

 ing," in your first number, under the signature of "J. T. 

 S." in which I agree most cordially with the writer, except 

 where he stiles Angling a "mild, subdued, snd feminine 

 exercise." It may be so in the East, but here, in the West, 

 it is altogether a diflerent business. 



Who, in the vicinity of our "great Western Emporium," 

 has not heard of the "Cincinnati Angling Club," and its 

 exploits among the "finny tribe?" None, I will venture 

 to say, can follow a party from this Club on a fishing ex- 

 cursion, for a single day, vvfithout feeling the intense excite- 

 ment created in the members by the delightful and manly 

 exercise of "Bass Fishing," and entering fully into the 

 enjoyment of a sport, which is every thing but "femi- 

 nine." 



• This I have recently understaod was also the case last spring.^ 



