Bob Whites, Grouse, etc. 



more than six or eight birds; for, unlike the pinnated grouse, 

 this species does not pacl<. 



"The ruffed grouse, by reason of its sudden bursts from cover, 

 its bold, strong, swift flight, the rugged nature of its favorite 

 cover, its proud, erect carriage, its handsome garb and its wide 

 distribution is easily the king of American game birds," says Mr. 

 G. O. Shields, "and has therefore been chosen as the emblem 

 of the League of American Sportsmen." 



In the brisk, golden days of autumn the sportsman finds 

 sport indeed in hunting the wily, clever grouse, "educated " by 

 much persecution from an almost tame denizen of the mountain 

 farm into a woodland recluse that constantly challenges admira- 

 tion for its cunning. It will seldom lie well to a dog, but sneaks 

 away so swiftly through the underbrush that either the dog or 

 its master usually gets left. By flying low, then dropping to run 

 again, the strong scent is broken. 



Bob Whites, that have a power of withholding their scent 

 by tightly compressing their feathers — a trick not known to the 

 grouse apparently — do not escape detection any better than they. 

 Many skilled sportsmen, armed with the most approved breech- 

 loaders, and aided by the best trained dogs that bushwhack a 

 region where grouse are known to be abundant, return home 

 with light bags. No bird that flies, unless it is the Jack snipe, is 

 so seldom hit. A tremendous whir-r-r-r of rapidly beaten wings 

 startles the tyro out of a good aim. Unusually strong chest 

 muscles for concentrated but limited exertion, and especially stiff 

 wings, enable the grouse to hurl themselves into the air with a 

 thunderous velocity ; but, like all their allies, they can steal away 

 as silently as Arabs, if necessary. Darting away directly opposite 

 from the sportsman, a well " educated " bird quickly places a tree 

 between itself and the shooter, threading a tortuous maze in 

 and out through the woods, higher and higher, until, having 

 cleared the tree tops, it is off to freedom. Fear, not a natural, but 

 an acquired state of mind, has not yet blasted the peace of grouse 

 in regions where they have never been molested ; and knowing 

 no worse enemy there than a fox, from which they are safe when 

 roosting in a tree, and mistaking the sportsman's dog for one, 

 they have been sometimes credited with stupidity because by 

 remaining on the perch they allow a man to rake the covey. 

 But such assault and battery is happily rare. Certain hawks and 



276 



