The sun., 1903-05-03
CHALLENGE or THE GROl 81.
The Drumming OF the Male Bird Now
Heard In the Northern Woods.

Heard IN the Northern WOONs'
Through all OF the North Woods now, east
and west and at any hour Of the day. rolls
the mimic thunder OF the cock grouse ham
mering his martial drum. Though the
sound seems close at hand. the man who
starts to find the drummer will walk far.
for the beat OF the wings will travel through
the forest for miles on still day. Indeed,
before the man has covered half the dis
tance he will hear other drummers answer
ing the first one and sending out their WOO
ings and challenges from oil points Of the
compass.
There has been good deal Of argument
concerning the manner in which the grouse
beats his drum, yet the matter Is simple,
as any one may discover for himself who
approaches cautiously, worming along on
his belly and getting close enough to watch
the drummer at work.
Invariably the bird will he found to be
perched upon sound stump with smooth
top. or upon q great log from which the
bark has been peeled. The sound is pro-
duced by an inconceivably rapid beating
of the wings against the sides. the tips OF
the wings brushing the stump or log.
The thunderous roll is made by the con-
| cussion Of the air between the wings and
the hollow body and the brushing Of the
| tips against the wood. While this is going
on the birds bill is tightly closed The
F, ruffed grouse does not hoot like the pinnated
| grouse or prairie chicken.
| The rolling Is not continuous. II lasts
| for ten seconds or so, then ceases abruptly
| to be resumed a minute or five minutes
| later, as the bird may choose.
strutting up and down the log admrirg
himself or he has hopped to the ground
and is there executing series of leaps
curvets and gambols Tor very Joy of the
! springtime and in earnest appreciation o.
his own beauty and strength. From wild
| turkey gobbler down to cock quail this
| strain of vanity and pugnacity runs through
every member Of the gallinaceous family
and even knobby-legged Shanghai rooster
| will sometimes emit hoarse cackle whicl
he thinks is crow and dance up and dowr
in pride; ,,,,,,,,, =, ,,o ,,o,,.o .or,.s ;,
challenge any male which may he in hear
ing, and to call lone females who are wan
dering through the hazel brush looking
for some one to fall in love with, II ever!
there would soon be no grouse. for they
would kill each other in year or two.
They are saved by the fact that eacl
warrior is so fond Of the sound OF his owl
drumming that he prefers to keep it up
He has no time to fly, or trot two or three
| InlteS 10 Wtllp pdlpdiiy ui
30 there are few combats unless the chal
lengers are near when they begin, or NEE
accidentally.
There il no other sound in nature which
speaks 30 strongly, vaiantly and nobly o
the spring. The gobble of the wild turke!
is ral,cous and foolish beside it, and th'
twittering of little birds is inadequate t.
express the annual renewal OF nature ant
| love.
The sap runs in the veins Of the man il
the woods as it runs in the trees and tina
insistent, melodious, rolling reverberation
coming to him from far hemlocked hill
side, tells him that>once more the might,
mother has risen as a giantess from he
| slumbers.