Concord, Mass.
1911.
April 17
[April 17, 1911]

Ruffed Grouse fighting.

  Ruffed Grouse have been haunting the beach behind the 
old Barrett barn and the lane just in front of it
ever since I came to Concord a month or more ago.
Early this morning my friends Mr. & Mrs. William Stone
who were staying with me at the farm house saw from
their window a brief fight between two birds on the 
ground at the east end of our door yard close to
the wall that separates it from the head of the lane.
Mr. Stone called me at once but before I could put 
on a few clothes & get to a window the fracas had
come to an end. He has kindly written out his
impression of it in the following words: -
"About 6 A.M. on April 17th I was hastily summoned
by my sharp-eyed wife out of your comfortable bed
to see a couple of large birds in the yard engaged in
some quite unusual occupation. A glance showed that