48 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
The birds represented in the above beautiful 
engraving are among the most popular with the 
sportsman and the epicure. It is counted no 
small feat to bag a dozen brace of grouse in a 
day’s hunting, especially in settled portions of 
the country, and enthusiastic gunners frequent¬ 
ly travel a hundred miles or more to find the 
favorite haunts of this game. There are several 
species of grouse in America, the most common 
of which are: 1st. Ruffed grouse (Tetrao umbellus ), 
called pheasant at the West, and partridge at the 
East; 2nd. the Pinnated grouse (Tetrao cupido ), or 
“ prairie hen or chicken.” Both of these are 
sent to city markets in large quantities during 
the Fall and Winter, and almost always com¬ 
mand a ready sale at from 75 cents to $1 per pair. 
The Ruffed grouse is found in every State and 
Territory of the Union, but is most abundant in 
the portions North of Maryland. These birds 
delight in craggy mountain sides, and rocky 
borders of small streams, among thick growths 
of evergreens, or tangled underbrush, but will 
breed in other localities, even among canebrakes. 
They do not pair permanently, their habits in 
this respect being like those of the common 
fowl. In Spring the male attracts the female 
by the peculiar and well known drumming 
sound made by beating his wings against his 
sides with increasing rapidity, until it sounds like 
a continued roll of distant thunder. After pair¬ 
ing time, the males wander together, apart from 
the females, until the approach of W inter, when 
young and old of both sexes congregate in 
flocks or coveys. The female makes her nest. | 
among dried leaves beside a fallen tree, or in I 
the shelter of a low bush. She lays from 5 to 12 | 
Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
eggs of a uniform dull yellowish color. The 
young follow the mother the moment they 
leave the egg, and are able to fly several yards 
when a week old. They are naturally the shyest 
of birds, and at the slightest cluck of danger, the 
little ones will hide so as to almost defy de¬ 
tection. They feed upon seeds and berries of all 
kinds, and when these are scarce, they pick the 
buds and leaves of several kinds of evergreens. 
They are very fond of grapes, strawberries and 
dewberries. They remain near their place of 
birth the year round, unless compelled to emi¬ 
grate by scarcity of fo'od. The peculiar whin- 
made in the flight of grouse only occurs when 
they are disturbed by the approach of some foe; 
at other times they pass through the air on 
the wing as quietly as other birds. 
The Pinnated grouse, “ Prairie hens or chick¬ 
ens,” which are now confined almost wholly to 
the West, were formerly found throughout the 
whole North; and a few yet remain in some 
portions of New-Jersey, on the “plains” of 
Long-Island, at Martha’s Vineyard, Elizabeth 
Island, and Mt. Desert Island in Maine. Years 
ago they were so abundant in Kentucky, as to 
be considered a nuisance, not worth shooting, ex¬ 
cept to prevent their depredations upon orchards 
and grain; but civilization has driven them west¬ 
ward with the Indian, and since becoming scarce, 
they are highly esteemed for the table. Their hab¬ 
its bear a general resemblance to those of the Ruf¬ 
fed grouse, except that they live more in the open 
country, sheltered by grass. They congregate 
in flocks in Winter, and in Spring separate into 
parties of fifty or more. When the love season 
commences, the males of a flock all resort, early 
in the morning, to some particular locality 
known as the “ scratching ground,” where they 
engage in the most desperate battles, a dozen 
or more at a time often taking part in the gen¬ 
eral conflict. The victors fly away to enjoy the 
caresses of their mistresses, the vanquished to 
console themselves as best they may. During 
this season the males, instead of drumming, ut¬ 
ter a peculiar note, called “ tooting.” It is made 
by drawing air into a bladder-like receptacle in 
the neck, resembling a small orange, and emit¬ 
ting it forcibly at short intervals. The noise is 
like the beating of a muffled drum, and can be 
heard at a distance of nearly a mile. Unlike the 
first mentioned species, the Pinnated grouse are 
easily domesticated, and raised with as little 
difficulty as common fowls. Grouse not being 
insectiverous birds, may be considered fair game; 
but the indiscriminate slaughter of them at all 
seasons of the year by roaming gunners, can 
not be too severely reprehended. They are fit 
for the table from September to the middle ot 
February or a little later, depending on the sea¬ 
son, after which they should be left unmolested 
to propagate their species. Game laws for their 
protection exist in some of the States, but from 
neglect to enforce the penalties for violation, 
these birds are yearly becoming more scarce. 
--o—« ■■ m r , rsr » - 
Economizing time with Hens. —C. N. De¬ 
ment writes to the American Agriculturist: “All 
who are familiar with rearing chickens, know 
that? very few hens will allow newly hatched 
chickens to be committed to their care. This is 
probably because the mother hen has become 
acquainted with her own chickens, from color, 
