Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 April 1859 — BIKDS OF JASPER COUNTY, No. 1. THE PHEASANT [ARTICLE]

BIKDS OF JASPER COUNTY, No. 1. THE PHEASANT

um! ;v 'ii Wasiiinoton ('ity. 05° Wr cull attention to the advertisement of Dr. Laß.ir O. u.iiist. in another column. (FI7“A meeting of the Bo ml of Agriculture of this county is called for the 22 I inst. Opposition ticket was elected in Cin -ijirviti. by majorities ranging ffom 1.000 to 1,500. 5 ofy”'rhe Republic n ticket of Indianapolis was elected lust Monday by maj -ritios averaging 43.3. L nis has again elected i Repu'iic.ni Mayor bv between 1 000 and 1 .',0.4 mii c ity. Well done, R -publicans of Sr Louis! ofs“Miss Fanny Martin advertises that she is desirous of forming a class in vocal and instrument 1 music. She is well qualified to give instruction in this art. 055“ We occupy a large amount of our space this week with the speech of Owen L ivejov, which is well worth readi-g. Next week we will publish the rc-plv o. his brother.

| ir g t> fi=*h seem to be greatly oirthe ! increa-e in the Iroqu aise this season. Several have been cauglit within tlie past week or two at this place .weighing from four to s ; x pounds. Some call them pi. keral, and others insist that they are bass. o^7”On A 1 Fools’ D>y ;l stone, covered with an old hat, was placed on the sidewalk j near Li ber.i 1 Corner. Sever a 1 indi vijlu o Is, in ‘passing along, attempted to k-ok the hat off the walk, and received a st .nhing reminder of the existence o! their corns., to the great merriment, of the big and little boys. , re'urns by t“legr.p!i from. Con-' necticiit indicate that the R“puhlicans have carried the whole S ate t'clu t and the four members ot Congress. If this be s-, we giiu two C-ngr.-ssmen in that State, and there will not be one Democratic Representative Irani till New England in the next Congress, 00-t: ie following was the result of the! township election in this township last; M unlay: Trustee —A. Thompson. Justices o the Peace—W. S. II ipkins and G. J. Green. Constables—C. 11. Do-vn ng.T. W. Lain son and D. C. W liter. Supervisors—1. C. M Watson: '2. J >hn \V r . Ivers; 3 J. P -acock; 4. B. F. Downing; 5. S. W. Grmt; 6. N. W. IB pkins; 7. JI I) dihins; 8. Geo. W. Burk; !). David 11 dbum; 10 Win. Ta’man; 11 G o. P. I) •ughertv. In B irkh v township A. ICrkison was j e| i-ie l Trustee. Win. Potts Justice ot the Pe.u-e. and J 1> Eugli-h Constable. In Newton town-hit) .1 ).-eoh 3 eoman was ejecte I Prus-.ee, an I J*m ‘s Ye >n m Justice : of the Peace. If our friends from tlie other townships will furji'sh us with the returns, we will publish them .next week.

r riiis*is anion • the mo t. beautiful of-, bur forest birds and remains with us throughout the year. I's length is eight *e,i in di -s. and tw-en'y-lour indies across the win rs. I inhabits most pots of the United St ires. It is the partridge oil New England. T it- species vary in different localities. The head and neck are of a pale chestnut color and black, in b irs and spots. The crest of some is a tli ck tu t of leathers, o the same color as the neck, turned back, like the J iy’s, when no*, disturbed, but when excited may be raised and turned forward. I n others t be crest s ands, like the Peacock's, erect upon the bead. On the sides ol tiie neck of the males, is a black ruff' of feu. hers, with violet shades. The -uff of the teinale is sin iller and of a lighter brown. From which th v are called the rvffid grouse. The coverts of the vvihgs uie reddish spotted with black and brown. The tail, is mostly grey with black bars near tiie end. The two middle feathers of the tail are longer, the color light r and the bars near the ends reddish fawn. The hill, feet and nails are usually pale brown. Frequently tiie legs and feet are covered with thick, downy short leathers to tlie ends of tlie toes, and nearly white. Tie legs are li.iz -I. This bird resembles the d nnestic fowl in the rearing of its young. About the first of May the female seeks a heap of leaves, that may have been collected by the wind, beneath u low bush, or at the side of* fallen tree, where sin- const nets her nest of * lie ,l j leaves auJ plants on the sp .t, and lays from eight i > fifteen yetffcvvis 1 eggs, which j t.re h.’ched at the end of eigirron -.! ys jncu | butien. If scm jcf tlie eggs ate removed in

her absence without disturbing the nest, leaving one or two, sh > will lay as miny as twenty-five or thirty. If the nest iis hr. ken up. even after incubation, she seeks nnotli-r spot and lays again. But naturally she rears hut one brood in a year. lake domestic chicks, the voting, soon fI ter they emerge from tlie shell are able to ! Inflow tlieir mother. She leads them abroad in search id food which consists of berries, the tender li-im s of plants, insects, seeds and grain. In a couple of weeks tie r- re able to fly ash >rt list me »at a tiin >. They disperse an ! hide on the slightest al irm a“d • n their places of concealment, in-tinct'vely jim.i'itiin the m st perfect silence, while the I mother obstinately exp ses herself 'ur their ! s.ikes. indignantly strik'ng with h r hill, ! wings and feet, or like the snipe, llmte-iug land feigning lameness as if wounded* Tiie males do n d atten 1 ; h ■ vain i broods directly a ter hitching, but before Fill they may olten be found wit i t'l-m. an 1 I hive jsev rul times seen them defend the young II 'cks witn spirit. J; is generally believ d they prefer a m- untain.ms or bit y reg'on, | but they are everywhere found in the level glades id 'his cuuntv. In the Spring at d Au'umn t!i - males set k j some rm k, or pr .str.ite log, and -ime tim -s 1 I theiigh rarely, a small hillock, upon which • hey produce a drumming n >ise wi h their ; u rigs, by striking them slowlv ami alierujatelv agioi-t their sil-s, r ipid.y increasing j the nutnher o' blows, soon hem ng a c n.- ; tiuiioiis rumbling soiin t wliicli may l>» heard at the distal* eoi lait a mile. Tueu suddenly stop an ! after a le.v minute- r peat the drumming- In this w.v, m *-n u ; and everting, liev sp oil hours, and not uufre- 1 queritdy whole nights. This noise may be imitated by tapping on dry i*>ll ited bladders, when lie- male bird approaches and is s ot. I, the leaves are scraped from the ground so as to lurm mar- i row paths near their h ‘upts, they wiii select .these paths for ruti-Wi.ys, -when they ut v be Caught in nooses suspended across them. Tin ir fic.-lr is vi iy y, bite, swict, tender and possesses a peculiar, delicious il >vo , -a ith nice soda crackers, tn iking excellent s m.i. They feed upon b r*-iifs of all It a Is, th .* leaves of several i irts > ' evergreens;, seeds, grapes and the tender bo Is of trees and often prove injurious to apple trees and other fruits. I caught one, in a snare, on the seven;, of last M trolt. which hud r. nu tis-sour kernd* of Indian corn in its crop, with some clover Raves and several poplar.buds. W hen undisturbed it walks gracefully and proudly, ini if alarmed it utters hue'., iuc l ,'. buc'r.buc',. then a low shrill whist!-*, spreads its tail, runs a short distance, and (lies aw iv with a loud whirring noise, something like their chumming. It --cldom flics more than a few hundred yards, and if pursued bv a noisy dog, alights ’upon a branch of a tree, remaining in a m itionless upright p isiti-m, when it tn iy be ap,pr,nc!iud within gunshot and brought to the ground.

!n the vicinity of evergreens, such ns 'm-m----lock, spruce, cedars an I pin >s,th -v resort to thus - trees for ro is»s at tr 'r. Wi*ath .* snow is deep th v plunge !*el)i-ath it tn 1 conceal th -insi'lves, and emerge at a distant place. Jn this county they roost i\,i the small branch -s of thi -.k ;ts an I s vrub'»y sipiings an lev ui on t : n•-ai ir > i a ti ■ ki • i for shelter. Tney becom * tlie prey of different. ■ species of hawks, racco n, . fi,x,-s ami other anunils 'v'iic!i suck tlieir egg- and devour their flesh. They are not. esily tamed, preferring wild 'reeiloin to the -a-, iety oi man. * -' * *