THE RUFFED GltOUSE. 199 



and inflates his whole body something in the manner of the 

 turkey-cock, strutting and wheeling about with great stateli- 

 ness. After a few manoeuvres of this kind he begins to strike 

 with his stiffened wings, in short and quick strokes, which 

 become more and more rapid, till they run into each other. 

 The sound then resembles the rumbling of distant thunder, 

 dying away gradually on the ear. 



The hen is an affectionate mother, and takes every means, 

 when a stranger approaches her nest, to lead him away from 

 the spot. 



Wilson describes observing a hen-pheasant depart from this 

 usual custom. He came suddenly upon one with a young 

 bird in her company. The mother fluttered before him for 

 a short time, when suddenly darting towards the young 

 one, she seized it in her bill, and flew off along the surface 

 of the ground through the woods, with great steadiness and 

 rapidity, till she was beyond his sight, leaving him in much 

 surprise at the incident. He searched round, but could find 

 no other birds. 



Here was a striking instance of something: more than 

 "blind instinct" — by the adoption of the most simple and 

 effectual means for the preservation of her solitary young one 

 — in this remarkable deviation from the usual manoeuvres of 

 the bird when she lias a numerous brood. 



The ruffed grouse is of a rich chestnut-brown, mottled with 

 brown and gray; while on each shoulder are the curious raffs, 

 or tufts, from which he obtains his name, of a rich velvety 

 black, glossed with green. The skin beneath them is bare ; 

 the tail is gray, barred with blackish-brown. 



Another species of grouse, smaller than the two former, 

 inhabits Canada. 



