This is considered the most important experiment of the 

 three and certainly the one above all others to be adopted 

 in the propagation of grouse by hand rearing. 



In the lot of eight, there were three males and five fe- 

 males, one of the females got killed in the pen by striking 

 the wire when in rapid flight, and another female got 

 through a hole in the roof of pen and escaped and was 

 most likely taken by a hawk as she disappeared myster- 

 iously. 



The stock was now reduced to three males and three 

 females. One male began strutting in September and 

 dominated the other two so savagely that they were 

 constantly driven to remote parts of the pen by the bellig- 

 erent chief. When feeding in the mornings the two per- 

 secuted males would approach the other group to be in- 

 stantly chased off by the top bird and in consequence had 

 to be fed separately. All were perfectly tame, would 

 feed out of my hand and scramble at times on to my arms. 

 The king of the harem was very fond of a scrap and when 

 walking through the pen he would suddenly appear and 

 attack my boot and then when I stooped to guard him 

 off he would strike out viciously at my fist. Towards 

 spring time this bird of strife killed the other males. 

 The three hens each nested and laid 31 eggs out of which 

 they hatched 27 chicks. Thus once and for all proving 

 that the ruffed grouse is absolutely polygamous and also 

 that when provided with properly constructed pens on 

 ground chosen as nearly as possible to represent the fea- 

 tures of their natural haunts they will nest and hatch out 

 their broods. 



From the results of this experiment, I am now con- 

 vinced that ruffed grouse can be as successfully reared by 

 hand as any other game. My connection with the test 

 ended before the birds nested, and consequently I was 

 unable to devote any time to the special study of diet 

 which I had intended doing. 



As far as I have gone I believe I have already solved 

 the problem of suitable food, at the same time I have a 

 special article of diet already tested out with many va- 

 rieties of game birds and foreign stock which I would 

 next try out if an opportunity arises. If a success with 

 grouse its use would simplify the dietary problem, which 

 now is the only part of the scheme that requires further 

 study. I do not consider the feeding in the slightest de- 

 gree an obstacle to success. Allowing sufficient range for 

 the broods to pick up their natural food, supplementing 



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