44 A VERITABLE PERCHER. 



snow shuts him off from any other kind of living, 

 and he then acquires a flavour of turpentine, 

 which is anything but agreeable, Nice as he 

 most unquestionably is for the pot, he is not a 

 bird a sportsman would love. His system is to 

 perch on the nearest branch ; and so accurately 

 does the plumage resemble the lichen-covered 

 bark of the trees, that it is difficult and often 

 next to impossible to descry him. His habit 

 when perched, if at all alarmed, is to crouch down 

 the long way of the branch, the head and neck 

 extended to the utmost, and the throat pressed 

 tightly down; when in this position, although 

 the bird has been close to me, I have been unable 

 to see him ; and when you have fairly made him 

 out, it is very difficult to shoot him. ' Shades of 

 my grandfather !' I hear some gunner say, 'what, 

 shoot a grouse on a tree !' Again I say, Yes. I 

 wanted him for the pot, or his skin, or maybe for 

 both. But, let me tell you, he can fly if he likes, 

 and I know no grouse more strong or swift on 

 the wing than the ruffed grouse, when it suits his 

 humour to go. I have had several spurts of 

 good shooting with this same white-flesher on the 

 Sumass and Chilukweyuk prairies, and at other 

 places west of the Cascade Mountains, on the 

 banks of the Fraser river. 



