(,[', THE SPECIES— ITS TAXONOMY. RANGE. BIOLOGY. & ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



pen against all comers save only those of whom he is mortally afraid. Assuming a charac- 

 teristic fighting attitude with head low, he will follow the attendant, as the latter moves 

 around the pen. and try determinedly to get out and at him. Should the pen he entered, the 

 bird will fight with surprising vigor and viciousness. The same holds if another male is intro- 

 duced. Even when a strutting hird is approached at this period, the change to fighting pose 

 is commonly accomplished in from five to 15 seconds. Following the disappearance of the 

 intruder, the bird may resume his strutting or carry on various pen activities, meanwhile keep- 

 ing a sharp lookout for the next visitor. As spring merges into summer the male gradually 

 abandons strutting altogether and not long thereafter may become incapable of being stimu- 

 lated to the point where mating can take place. The fact that he exhibits the fighting reaction 

 rather than strutting is, however, by no means a good indication that he is not physiologi- 

 cally able to mate. 



k^^. 



'■■trdiner Bump 



Willi. K IN THK FIGHTING PHASK TIIK MALE EXHIBITS CONSIDERABLE PUGNACIOUSNESS IN DEFENSE 



OF HIS TFIUUTORY 



For her part, the female, during her third phase, exhibits little interest in the male except 

 to keep out of his way. This is her period of egg production and considerable lime is accord- 

 ingly spent on and about the nest. Allen'" has given an excellent description of her behavior 

 at this time. 



Beyond the third phase the reactions of the male are characterized by a complete lack of 

 interest in his mate except as an individual to be dominated if occasion demands. For her 

 part, she reciprocates in kind by going about the business of incubating her eggs and raising 

 her brood. Her actions throughout this period are described in the chapter on General 

 Habits. 



In interpreting certain of the reactions on which recognition of the three phases here 

 described is based, one experiences real difficulty. In studying breeding behavior, Allen con- 

 cluded that grouse did not recognize sex and described in the male a recurring mating rhythm 

 involving physiological and psychological readiness to male. The present authors, in the 



