THE RUFFED GROUSE

Evening Star, Issue 20048, 13 December 1928, Page 10

THE RUFFED GROUSE

HOW HE GOES A-WOOING When in ilio silence of the deep woods you hear the hollow “drumming” of the ruffed grouse, do you wonder how it is done? How this perfoiraar.ee, so often heard yet seldom seen, is accomplished is explained in ‘ Nature Magazine ’ by William Id. Sherwood. Standing well fonvard on the side of his drumming log, with tail braced on the top of the log to give better support, he repeatedly spreads bis wings and brings them down forcibly against his sides. The first two or tnree strokes are deliberate, and the wings are brought almost to normal position. These first strokes make very little noise, and are probably a “ limbering up ” process for what is to follow. Then, alter a slight pause, lie rutiles up his feathers and gets down to business. He now uses only tbs secondary portions of bis wings, but these are brought down with tremendous force against his flanks, thus making the hollow booming sound, which is probably augmented by air lushing out from between the wings and the body. Between the strokes tne primary feathers flare out conspicuously. The. grouse speeds_ up until the blows are almost indistinguishable from each other, and you almost wonder that lie does not rise from the log by the very force of his wings against the air. Finally, utterly exhausted, he ceases with a half-hearted stroke or two and stands for'several minutes before repeating the performance. The drumming begins at earliest dawn, and, except for a few hours during the heat of the day, may continue till the last trace of twilight has faded. If there is a bright moon he may drum at any hour during the night. It is his way of making a good impression on his* “ lady friend” which may account for the very great effort used.