, DRUMMING OF THE RUFFED GROUSE. 
* Dovbb, N. H. 
Editoe AffiliEiCAN Field : — I beg leave to differ with 
your correspondent, Eoxey Newton, when he intimates 
that the ruffed grouse selects only a log for the purpose of 
drumming. When a boy, living in the country, my father 
owned a pasture situated about forty rods from the house in 
which was a never-failing spring of water, that came from un- 
der a moss-covered rook,and in dry seasons supplied the neigh- 
borhood with water and:waa known asf‘drumrQ£;^iaiU^iMikliA<i 
ruffed grouse were so often known to drum upon this rock. 
Many a time I have waited beside a stone wall a few rods 
away to watch them drum ; I have seen one light on this 
rock turn around several times, seemingly to find out which | 
way the wind was (for they always face the wind when \ 
drumming), then would throw back his head, raise his wings 
high as possible and commence drumming rapidly. I never 
saw one walk or touch his wings to the rock or log on which 
he was standing while in the act of drumming. 
Old Baet. 
Ottawa, Can. 
Editoe Ameeican Field ; — I fully agree with two or 
three of your correspondents as to the position ot the ruffed 
grouse when drumming, which is erect. The sound could 
no more be produced by the end of the bird’s wings striking 
the log, than a sportsman could kill a canvas-back with a 
bayonet, when the bird is flying litty yards off at the rate of 
ninety miles an hour. Any one who has heard the sound 
made by the humming-bird, can get at the secret of the 
ruffed grouse’s drumming. I have seen the bird at his 
work ; and I am quite certain that the sound is produced by 
the rapid contact of the wings with the atmosphere. After 
the first three or four claps, the wings move so rapidly that 
the bird has the appearance of a large top spinning in its 
swiftest motion. Algonquin. 
Washington, D. C. 
Editoe Ameeican Field:— If I were to speak to the 
point of order, I should say: “Boys, what’s the use of 
argifying.’ How does the bee buzz or the humming bird 
hum ? or the night-hawk make his whirring sound ? Is it 
not by the vibration of the wings alone ? If a speaker gets 
on to a stump and hollers, what has the stump got to do 
with it? and what has the log to do with the drumming of 
the ruffed grouse?” If those wHb have waxed warm in the 
^Jjjgres^of^thisdiscu^ion will just stop to think, they wih 
! recall a great variety of birds which unite sounds by the 
vibration of the wings ; if hot, all they have to do when 
next afield is to jot them down. ~ Chaeles Hallock. 
THE DRUMMING OF THE RUFFED GROUSE. 
' Penza, Ohio. 
Editoe Ameeican Field :— I see that the ruffed grouse 
is again drumming in the Ameeican Field, in all the latest 
and improved styles. The varied opinions of writers on 
this subject show how seldom two men can see, hear, and 
understand alike. I have only seen two ruffed grouse in 
the act of drumming, but as they are all supposed to go 
through the same motions, I will base my opinions on what 
I saw on those occasions. One I watched with a field glass 
at a distance at which he was largely magnified, and the 
other with the naked eye. According to my opinion the 
bird can drum on anything that will give him a foot-hold ; 
that he seldom if ever moves out of his tracks between | 
drumming times ; that the wings never touch the log, stone 
or whatever substance he may be standing on ; that the 
wings do not strike the body of the bird; and lastly that I 
don’t know all about what causes the sound. I feel satisfied 
though that the Incoming waves of displaced air have a 
great deal to do with it. 
There are two peculiarities attached to this bird that I 
have never seen mention of. One is the silent manner in 
which they sometimes get up and fly off, contrasting so 
strongly with the usual “whirr.” I have often known them 
to fly off as silently as an owl, whea I would be trying to 
get up to them while they ..were drumming, and when ap- 
proaching along the line of flight of a bird that had been 
recently flushed, and marked down. I have seen them fly 
off without a sound fifty and seventy -five yards ahead. They 
will often do this if they hear a word spoken. I have known 
them to take this noiseless flight out of trees also. 
The other peculiar habit is the one which very clearly ex- 
plains the injured wing feathers. The wing feathers are in- 
jured by the old cocks drumming a la turkey gobbler. This 
is a sight seldom seen twice in a life time, and once seen is 
never forgotten. The position and motions are identical 
with those of the turkey. The bird never drums in this 
manner except in company with several hens. This, and 
the fact that little or no sound is made makes the chances 
small of ever seeing a bird in the act. It was several years 
ago that fortune favored me with the rare and novel sight, 
but I can close my eyes now and see it just as plain as I did 
then. It was before I was allowed the possession of a gun, 
so there was nothing for me to do but to keep quiet and 
look on. It was in the Winter, and the birds were on the 
ice on the south side of a swamp, in the sunshine. There 
were five or six in sight, and one old cock was strutting 
around among the others, with tail expanded and head 
thrown back, and his wings dragging on the ice. I have 
often since seen where they had been drumming in like 
manner in the snow, and I have no doubt others will re- 
member having seen wing marks in the snow. 
E. Tully. 
Chbtopa, Kan. 
Editoe Ameeican Field : — Allow me to have my little 
say in regard to the drumming of the ruffed grouse. He 
stands erect, and with wings about one-half opened he beats 
’ his breast (which is inflated with air) with the butt or joint 
of wings, which produces the sound called drumming. 
Catch a turkey gobbler, stand him up and strike him on the 
breast with the hand and you will produce about the same 
sound. A. A. Case. 
