THE RUFFED GROUSE. 991 
feebly at the soft maternal cluck, and hurrying to 
enshroud them under the shelter of her guardian wing, 
and nestle, happy younglings, among the downy plumage 
of her maternal breast. Curses upon the sacrilegious 
hand that would interrupt that sweet and tender scene 
by the sharp click of the murderous trigger; yét there 
be brutes, in the guise of men, who scruple not to 
butcher the drumming cock, taken at fatal disadvantage, 
amid his admiring harem ; scruple not to slaughter the 
brooding mother above her miserable younglings—but 
to such we cry avaunt! to such we deny the name of 
sportsmen, nay, but of Christians, or of men. Get ye 
behind us, murderous pot-hunters ! 
The young broods grow rapidly ; and by the time they 
have reached the size of the Quail, fly well and strongly 
on the wing. By the middle, or latter end of August, 
they are three parts grown, and fully feathered, with the 
exception of the tail, which is.not yet complete, and 
retains a pointed form. The blundering legislation of 
this country in general, on the subject of the game-laws, 
has, in this instance, to my ideas, exceeded itself; for 
during the months of September and October, when the 
broods are still united under the care of the mother, the 
birds lying well to the setter, and when flushed scatter- 
ing themselves singly here and there among low under- 
growth or bushes, and rarely or never taking to the tree, 
we are prohibited from shooting this bold, hardy, ramb- | 
ling, and shy bird; this, at a later season, wild hunter 
