62 PROPAGATION OF WILD BIRDS 



curd, which Mr. Rogers considers almost indispensable in 

 raising delicate stock of this type. 



Growing Up. When about four weeks old, the young 

 grouse began to fly over the fence. Not wishing to take 

 any chances, the keeper clipped their wings slightly, and a 

 covered enclosure, about loo feet square, was constructed 

 for them. They slept apart from the hen when about five 

 weeks old, and had no further brooding from her. In the 

 new pen was a shelter of boards under which they generally 

 spent the night. They seemed to have sense enough to go 

 under it when it rained. Their wings soon grew out again, 

 and at times they flew rather hard against the wire, so the 

 keeper hung strips of cheesecloth in the pen, just back 

 from the wire, to keep them from striking. Probably this 

 was not necessary, as they seemed to learn in time. They 

 have grown up normally, and are absolutely tame and gentle, 

 fearless even of strangers. Their time is spent hunting for 

 bugs, browsing, dusting, and wandering around in their 

 leisurely way. Wild grapevines have been transplanted in- 

 to the pen, and the birds are fond of flying up and feasting 

 on the grapes. In the autumn, when fully fledged, they 

 went through the peculiar strutting performance. The 

 Senator sits on the ground with them, and they are all over 

 him, begging for food. The ruffed grouse is his favourite 

 species, and he takes the keenest enjoyment with the birds, 

 as well as with his hand-raised quail coveys. 



Rearing in Open. Yoimg grouse possibly might be raised 

 in the open, by the same plan as quails. Mr. Rogers had a 

 brood of five or six one fall, which had grown up on free 

 range with a hen, and lived in a piece of swamp adjoining a 

 pheasant rearing-field. A few years before this he had 

 raised about seventy-five with hens in a large fenced enclos- 

 ure. It is doubtful if they can be controlled in numbers on 



