The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-06-24
DRUMMING OF THE GROUSE.
auced Described by an Obser-
want WOOdsman.


want Woodsman.
A particular description of the man
ner in which the male grouse drums il
given by Edward Banks, of Price coun-
ty, Wisconsin, who has spent some
time in observing it at this pastime,
if it may be called pastime. Banks
has been building cabin amid the
hemlock woods near Long lake, going
to his work just after daybreak and
putting in all of the day hours with
AK and saw, relates the New York Sun.
Early in May he heard grouse
drumming. AS usual the sound seemed
to be long way off, but he decided to
investigate and began moving softly
among the trees. He found the bird
within SO yards, got within 20 yards
of it, hid behind a big birch and
watched it.
The grouse stood upon a dead log
nearly three feet through and bare of
bark. 1t was standing motionless
when Banks saw it, apparently half
asleep.
Soon it began to show signs of un-
easiness, poking its head first to the
left and. then to the right. Then it
squatted, bringing its breast within an
inch of the log, and began to drum.
The drumming lasted for eight or
ten seconds, then ceased, and theN
bird became once more erect. Fully
five minutes elapsed before it drummed
again. So long as he watched it, in
teryals of from three to five minutes
passed between the Cummings.
1t always preceded the drumming by
the signs of uneasiness, moving it's
head to right and left, sometimes shift
ing its feet upon the log. Just before
the drumming started, when it had
squatted into position, it spread out
the gray feathers of its tail as widely
as they would go, making fan just
as the turkey gobbler spreads its tail
when it struts.
This fan the grouse brought down
upon the log and held it there press
ing it against the timber as tightly as
possible, and it kept it so while the
drumming lasted, not relaxing the ten
sion until the last sound had ceased.
While drumming the head was
stretched far forward and the neck
was rigid.
The bird always began it's drum
ming by two or three tentative flaps,
given slowly and producing only
softly muffled noise. Ittseemed to be
doubtful of its ability to drum and
appeared to be trying how it would go.
After these two or three flaps it
brought its wings sharply against its
body and sailed out into the full tide
of its Instrumentation. The strokes,
at first slow, increased swiftly in
raridity, finally merging into the thun-
derous roll made by the wings of the
grouse when in full flight. Then the
drumming ceased abruptly, not shad-
ing down into slowness and softness,
as it had begun.
Sometimes, having completed It's
beats, the grouse would walk up and
down on the log for two or three feet,
evidently immensely proud of itself.
Always when the drumming was re-
sumed, it took it's original position.
standing with it's feet in exactly the
same place.
In making this sound the rear edges
of the wings were brought down and
forward. The grouse, in fact, seemed
to be scooping its wings forward and
slapping itself upon the breast in muck
the same manner as man slaps him
self upon the chest in cold weat Their;
only, of course, the wings were not
crossed. The wings were brought as
far forward as possible and OUT
stretched before they We're slammed
against the body.
On every clear day since then this
grouse has drummed on the same log,
standing in the same place. 1t keeps
it up for hours in the morning, goes
away shortly before noon and re-
turns about two o'clock in the after
noon, drumming nearly until sunset at
intervals of five minutes.
Banks is certain that it does not
brush the log with the tips of its wings
and that such contact has no part in
producing the hollow, thunderous
notes of the drum. There is short
green moss on the log where the
grouse stands, and though the bird has
drummed there not less than dozen
times this moss shows no signs of hav-
ing been disturbed.
Banks is certain that the female is
nesting somewhere near. When the
hen is sitting the male bird does not