How Partridges Drum

The article in your last week's ijptie, copiod from St. N cholas, endeavoring to expiain how partridges produce the peculiar sound valled "drumlugr," must have been wrltten by sonae one wholly uiiacquainted ih the hnbiti of those beautiful but intich misrepresented binU. I have re.sided tor many years in Central Penusylvania, Mnoifg the detaohed spurs of the Alleghenks, where parIridies are so pleutitul :is to entur or chards, and grain flelda in Hoeks ; and wliere the sound of the "drunfrarag" bhfdt enn be lieard at any titne in the woods ; thus pre(8fktiug excellent opportunities tor acquiritljf an accurate knowledjre bot1 of the bird and of its peculiuritles, and the following wliich is the result of my observations, can be relied upon tor its aulhenticity, and will timl nmiiy endorsers by reputable resKlents of localities where the9e birds are abumlant. Partrldge, or rnfted K'"ou.se (they are culled pheasantB in Pennsylvania), are grearioii8 to a certain extent, and the sound callcd "druniinitig" never occurs wlien two or more birds are tojrether ; but as soon as the male bird gets separated trom its coinpanions, he singles uut a smootli log, mounts it witli his head leltgthwise with the lojr, and ;ives it a vigorou? flapping with his wlngs ; at first stroki'S are very slow, giadually quickening until it resembles the rolling of a drum. He doe9 Dot reniain upon tli log ditring the intervals of silenee, but jumpi on and walks slowly to a bush near by, where he picks his featliers or scratches the ground, until suddeuly re membering his log beating exercisi', he starts tor the log on a smart run, acceleratiiii his speed with liis wings; ïnountmg it. tie (utiously looks around for a moment, draws his wings to their full length, expands his tail, and in u moment the KWnd is ringing throagti the woods. It is said on aood anthority that when the partí -iilge is engaged in ""dnimming" hls eyes are closed tlghtly, an that a person can approach so closely as to catch the bird in the hands, provided he approaelies nearer and neaier each sticces8ive period of "drumming," nd rem iins pcrfMtlT (iiiet White the bird is off the log. He this as 11 may, it is certain that hunters In our locallty express themselves iis being sure of the bird when hearing it drum, hnni- n they can invariablv approacli witnin (hootlng distance when it is tlm- cngijicl ; and the statement tii.it it is ditticult lo approat'li wliile drummliig is absolutely erroneous. The liinl tehioffl iliiims upon mything but 8 log, althouah la the absence of' a good tof, choosea stiimp, or moss-:overed rock, and the NMflfeflMt of tlie, sound can nnly be aceounted lor by the tact that beating a log, stuinp or rock with the wing of a partridge produces idéntica! soumis or po nearly th:it the onlinary eirjoan nmke no ili-liuction. The Hit under llde ot' the wing does not strike the log; it is the WBg t'eathers when spnvid out and made lirm and stilt', whicli glve the peculiar sanieness to the sound as niuch as any Madihon, oí no, April 18.