282 GENERAL HABITS 



\^ hether or not a female, having witnessed such a performance, mates with that particular 

 male, is immaterial. In no species does courtship guarantee acceptance. Then, too, one must 

 be very cautious in crediting conscious forethought to the activities of any form of wildlife 

 and remember that, among grouse, the male does not seek out an individual female to whom 

 to address his attentions. Furthermore, in a polygamous species, the association of two indivi- 

 duals for mating is short. 



To other males, or fgmales not in the proper stage of the reproduction cycle, actions of this 

 kind merely represent a "chip on the shoulder" of the performer. 



W hat seems to be the nearest approach to actual observation of the courtship of a wild 

 grouse is recorded by Allen^. In the course of a study of drumming, this investigator placed 

 a captive female in a wire crate beside a drumming log in front of the position usually occu- 

 pied by the male. Upon coming to the log, the male, without drumming, soon began his 

 strutting antics, accompanied by a full plumage display. This was continued for three-quarters 

 of an hour, both on the log and on the ground beside the crate, "when he attempted to mate 

 with the female . . . though the wire separated them by several inches". 



Following this, the male proceeded to drum, apparently as a challenge to any other males 

 which might be in the vicinity. 



Strutting 



Strutting and the feather display which accompanies it, has two major functions. First, it 

 is employed throughout the year by individuals of both sexes for purposes of showing off or 

 expressing exuberance and as one means of asserting their self-sufficicncx among their fel- 

 lows*. Second, during the breeding season, it also serves as the courtship of the male''. In 

 the former sense, the performance has been termed the "intimidation display" by Allen". 

 When used to express exuberance or cockiness, the presence of other iMdi\ iduals. regardless 

 of sex, appears immaterial. 



In its fullest development, as given before a receptive female in the breeding season, it con- 

 sists of a display in which the male raises his tail almost perpendicularly, spreading it fan- 

 wise, while at the same time lowering his wings until they drag. Though the crown feathers 

 are not raised, the head is held back and the rufi about the neck is erected until it forms an 

 almost complete circle of iridescent black or brownish feathers. The body position is not un- 

 like that of the strutting turkey gobbler. With slow and measured steps he ap|)roaches the ob- 

 ject of his attentions, occasionally lowering his head and stretching his neck to ])eck violently 

 several times at the ground or other objects before him. A slight Iiiss oftcii accompanies the 

 forward movement. As excitation increases, the male stands still, though boih hiss and move- 

 ment of the head become more jironounccd. each action being clearlv distinguished from the 

 one that follows by a pause. Tlien the head is tilted slightly forward and the neck rotated 

 with increasing speed from side to side as though pivoted on bodv and beak. The sound now 

 reminds one of a locomotive rather rapidly getting under way. Abruptly the motion ceases 

 and. with a prolonged, loud hiss and a dragging of wings, the male completes the action with a 

 short, determined rush at the female. 



Even before a receptive female, there is considerable variation between the actions of dif- 

 ferent males and. under other circumstances, a wide range of modifications is employed. Es- 

 peciallv if no female is evident, a male often stints \\\i ami ddun his drumming log, either 



• Scr Cliniil.r U. p. 65. 



A S«e dilcuMion of Courlvliip, p. 261. 



I 



