"This elegant species," writes Wilson, "is known throughout North
America. Its favourite places of resort are high mountains, covered
with the balsam-pine and hemlock." It prefers the woods--being seldom
or never found in open plains. They are solitary birds; generally being
seen in coveys of four or five, and often singly, or in pairs.
The stranger wandering through the forest is surprised to hear a
peculiar sound, very similar to that produced by striking two full-blown
ox-bladders together, but much louder. It is caused by the ruffed
grouse, who, amusing himself by drumming, is little aware that it will
bring the cruel sportsman towards him. The bird produces it when
standing on an old prostrate log. He lowers his wings, erects his
expanded tail, and inflates his whole body something in the manner of
the turkey-cock, strutting and wheeling about with great stateliness.
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 has a numerous brood.
The ruffed grouse is of a rich chestnut-brown, mottled with brown and
grey; while on each shoulder are the curious ruffs, 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 grey, barred with blackish-brown.
Another species of grouse, smaller than the two former, inhabits Canada.