. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande Valley . gely upon cover and itsmottled coat for protection, and when flushed, if possible puts atree between itself and the hunter as it whirrs away to light out ofsight on the far side of a gray trunk. There it draws itself up andstands as rigid as a branch. How well it knows how far to trustitself, breaking away at the first intelligent gleam from the pur-suers eye! But with all the skill and untamable wildness of thegrouse, it needs rigid protection from the day it
. Handbook of birds of the western United States, including the great plains, great basin, Pacific slope, and lower Rio Grande Valley . gely upon cover and itsmottled coat for protection, and when flushed, if possible puts atree between itself and the hunter as it whirrs away to light out ofsight on the far side of a gray trunk. There it draws itself up andstands as rigid as a branch. How well it knows how far to trustitself, breaking away at the first intelligent gleam from the pur-suers eye! But with all the skill and untamable wildness of thegrouse, it needs rigid protection from the day it leaves the brood of bob-tailed young buzzing from the grass up on to thebranches are easily potted, and in winter a flock noisily pickingbirch and alder-buds in the treetops are sadly exposed to the con-scienceless hunter below. While the snow is on the ground the birds feed mainly on buds,and usually have a warm bed under the snow. Before the snow isall gone in spring, each male selects his drumming ground, — a log,a rock, or merely an open spot of ground,—and begins his drum- 128 GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, QUAILS, ming. The muffled wing-beats suggest distant thunder, though thesound is much the same at twenty feet or forty rods. I have oftencrept up within twenty or thirty feet of an old cock and watchedhim. Standing in a perfectly natural position, he begins withoutany warning. The wings are slightly raised and brought quicklydown to the sides, one, two, three, four, five, six times, — you cancount no farther, - - the buzzing wings are lost in a blur, and thesounds blend in a crescendo roar. For hours at a time through thebreeding season the drumming is kept up at intervals of from oneto several minutes. It is heard mainly in the morning and evening,but irregularly at all times of day and night, though always fromthe same spot. VERNON BAILEY. 300b. B. U. umbelloides (Dougl.). GRAY RUFFED male. - - Ruffs black, with bluish green gloss to tips ; u
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbaileyfl, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookyear1902
