THE RUFFED GROUSE. 173 
several hundred yards and alighted on the top of a 
magnificent fir, which was, apparently, two or three 
hundred feet high. We followed them and found 
their retreat without much trouble, as we knew they 
would not deviate from a straight course in flight, and 
would seek refuge in the highest tree on their line. 
The Kentuckian wanted the ‘scatter-gun men” to 
open fire on them, but the first shot they fired proved that 
they could not reach the fugitives, owing to the altitude 
of the tree. The riflemen next essayed it, and the hunt- 
er was successful in winging one and bringing it tumb- 
ling down. Its descent caused the others to fly away 
with a loud cluck of alarm, and though all fired at them, 
they escaped scatheless. We started after them, and 
soon descried them perched on a dogwood tree, and there 
they remained until all were picked off with the rifles, 
for there was no sport in shooting them with a shot gun. 
That brood yielded us seven tender birds, which were 
almost as fat as butter. The Kentuckian told me that 
a family of ruffed grouse could be kept in a tree until 
they were killed if a person talked or whistled, as the 
sound of the human voice either terrified or enchanted 
them so much that it seemed to stupefy them. We met 
another small pack which were feeding on blueberries, an 
hour later. These fled on seeing us, but they did not go far 
before they alighted on a tree, and there they remained 
until they were picked off one by one, as those on the 
lower perches were bagged first. 1 descried several others 
in a tall fir, half an hour after this, and managed to flush 
them by yelling and hurling stones at them. As they 
flew away in a body, and rather slowly, I was able to 
empty both barrels into them. I killed a leash; and my 
companions were proportionately successful. I was in- 
debted to my field-glass for this score, as I could not have 
seen the birds without it. A field-glass is, in fact, actu- 
ally necessary in wood-grouse shooting, as the plumage 
