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THE RUFFED GROUSE. 



4-Tetrao umbellits, Linn. 

 PLATE CCXCIII.— Males and Female. 



You are now presented, kind reader, with a species of Grouse, which, in 

 my humble opinion, far surpasses as an article of food every other land-bird 

 which we have in the United States, except the Wild Turkey, when in good 

 condition. You must not be surprised that I thus express an opinion 

 contradictory to that of our Eastern epicures, who greatly prefer the flesh of 

 the Pinnated Grouse to that of the present species, for I have had abundant 

 opportunity of knowing both. Perhaps, after all, the preference may 

 depend upon a peculiarity in my own taste; or I may give the superiority 

 to the Ruffed Grouse, because it is as rarely met with in the Southern 

 States, where I have chiefly resided, as the Pinnated Grouse is in the 

 Middle Districts; and were the bon-vivants of our eastern cities to be 

 occasionally satiated with the latter birds, as I have been, they might 

 possibly think their flesh as dry and flavourless as I do. 



The names of Pheasant and Partridge have been given to the present 

 species by our forefathers, in the different districts where it is found. To 

 the west of the Alleghanies, and on those mountains, the first name is 

 generally used. The same appellation is employed in the Middle Districts, 

 to the east of the mountains, and until you enter the State of Connecticut; 

 after which that of Partridge prevails. 



The Ruffed Grouse, although a constant resident in the districts which it 

 frequents, performs partial sorties at the approach of autumn. These are 

 not equal in extent to the peregrinations of the Wild Turkey, our little 

 Partridge, or the Pinnated Grouse, but are sufficiently so to become 

 observable during the seasons when certain portions of the mountainous 

 districts which they inhabit becomes less abundantly supplied with food 

 than others. These partial movings might not be noticed, were not the 

 birds obliged to fly across rivers of great breadth, as whilst in the mountain 

 lands their groups are as numerous as those which attempt these migrations; 

 but on the north-west banks of the Ohio and Susquehanna rivers, no one 

 who pays the least attention to the manners and habits of our birds, can fail 

 to observe thern. The Grouse approach the banks of the Ohio in parties of 

 eight or ten, now and then of twelve or fifteen, and, on arriving there, 



