the ground, perches amongst the thickest parts of the foliage, and, assuming
at once an erect attitude, stands perfectly still, and remains silent until
all appearance of danger has vanished. If discovered when thus
perched, it is very easily shot. On rising from the ground, the bird
utters a cackling note repeated six or seven times, and before taking
wing emits a lisping sort of whistle, which seems as if produced by the
young of another bird, and is very remarkable.
When the ground is covered with snow sufficiently soft to allow this
bird to conceal itself under it, it dives headlong into it with such force as
to form a hole several yards in length, re-appears at that distance, and
continues to elude the pursuit of the sportsman by flight. They are
sometimes caught while beneath the snow. Many of them are taken alive
in trap boxes during winter, although the more common method of catching
or rather destroying them is by setting dead falls with a figure-of-four
trigger.
Early in April, the Ruffed Grouse begins to drum immediately after
dawn, and again towards the close of day. As the season advances, the
drumming is repeated more frequently at all hours of the day; and where
these birds are abundant, this curious sound is heard from all parts of the
woods in which they reside. The drumming is performed in the following
manner. The male bird, standing erect on a prostrate decayed trunk,
raises the feathers of its body, in the manner of a Turkey-cock, draws
its head towards it tail, erecting the feathers of the latter at the same
time, and raising its ruff around the neck, suffers its wings to droop, and
struts about on the log. A few moments elapse, when the bird draws
the whole of its feathers close to its body, and stretching itself out, beats
its sides with its wings, in the manner of the domestic Cock, but more
loudly, and with such rapidity of motion, after a few of the first strokes,
as to cause a tremor in the air not unlike the rumbling of distant thunder.
This, kind reader, is the " drumming1'' of the Pheasant. In perfectly
calm weather, it may be heard at the distance of two hundred yards, but
might be supposed to proceed from a much greater distance. The female,
which never drums, flies directly to the place where the male is thus engaged,
and, on approaching him, opens her wings before him, balances
her body to the right and left, and then receives his caresses.
The same trunk is resorted to by the same birds during the season, unless
they are frequently disturbed. These trunks are easily known by the
quantity of excrements and feathers about them. The males have the
liberty of promiscuous concubinage, although not to such an extent as
those of the Pinnated Grouse. They have frequent and severe battles
at this season, which, although witnessed by the females, are never interrupted
by them. The drumming sounds of these birds lead to their destruction,
every young sportsman taking the unfair advantage of approaching
them at this season, and shooting them in the act.
About the beginning of May, the female retires to some thicket in a
close part of the woods, where she forms a nest. This is placed by the
side of a prostrate tree, or at the foot of a low bush, on the ground, in a
spot where a heap of dried leaves has been formed by the wind. The nest
is composed of dried leaves and herbaceous plants. The female lays from
five to twelve eggs, which are of a uniform dull yellowish colour, and are
proportionate in size to the bird. The latter never covers them on leaving
the nest, and in consequence, the Raven and the Crow, always on the
look out for such dainties, frequently discover and eat them. When the
female is present, however, she generally defends them with great obstinacy,
striking the intruder with her wings and feet, in the manner of the Common
Hen.
The young run about and follow the mother, the moment after they
leave the egg. They are able to fly for a few yards at a time, when only
six or seven days old, and still very small. The mother leads them in
search of food, covers them at night with her wings, and evinces the
greatest care and affection towards them on the least appearance of danger,
trying by every art in her power to draw the attention of her enemies to
herself, feigning lameness, tumbling and rolling about as if severely
wounded, and by this means generally succeeding in saving them. The
little ones squat at the least chuck of alarm from the mother, and lie SO
close as to suffer one to catch them in the hand, should he chance to discover
them, which, however, it is very difficult to do. The males are then
beginning to associate in small parties, and continue separated from the
females until the approach of winter, when males, females, and young,
mingle together. During summer, these birds are fond of dusting themselves,
and resort to the roads for that purpose, as well as to pick up gravel.
I have observed this species copulating towards autumn, but have
not been able to account for this unseasonable procedure, as only one
brood is raised in the season.
These birds have various enemies besides man. Different species of
Hawks destroy them, particularly the Red-tailed Hawk and the Stanley