leaves of the spruce, the fir or the tamarack trees. At times they seem to show 

 a preference for certain trees, and will nearly strip the foliage from them. 



As a food for man their flesh is far from satisfactory. It is dark-colored 

 and stron^'ly flavored with the odor of their natural food. However, certain 

 Indian tribes arc said to relish them and hunt them extensively. 



Mr. Bishop, in "Forest and Stream," relates the folluwinjj very interesting 

 account of the strutting of the male Canada (Irousc when in captivity. He says, 

 "I will describe as nearly as I can his conduct and attitude while strutting: The 

 tail stands almost erect, the win.^s are slightly raised from the body atid a little 

 ilrooped. the head is still well up, and the feathers of breast and throat are raised 

 and standing out in regular rows, which press the feathers of the nape and hind 

 neck well back, forming a smooth kind of ca|ie on the hack of the neck. This 

 smooth cape contrasts beautifully with the rufUled black and white feathers of the 

 throat and forebrcnst. The red comb over each eye is enlarged until the two 

 nearly meet over the top of the head. This comb the bird is able to enlarge or 

 reduce at will, andw bile he is strutting the expanded tail is moved from side to 

 side. The two center feathers do not move, but each side expands and con- 

 tracts alternately with each step the bird walks. The movement of the tail pro- 

 duces a peculiar rustling, like that of silk. This attitude gives him a very dignified 

 and even conceited air. He tries to attract attention in every possible way, by 

 flying from the ground up on a perch, and back to the ground, making all the noise 

 be can in so doing. Then he will thump some hard substance with his bill. I 

 have had him fly up on my shoulder and thump my collar. .At this season he is 

 very bold, and will scarcely keep enough out of the way to avoid being stepped on. 

 He will sometimes sit with his breast almost touching the earth, his feathers erect 

 as in strutting, and making peculiar nodding and circular motions of the head 

 from side to side ; he will remain in this position two or three minutes at a time. 

 He is a most beautiful bird, and shows by his actions that he is perfectly aware 

 of the fact." 



There seems to be a diversity of opinion regarding the method followed by 

 this grouse to produce the drumming sound. Mr. Everett Smith, as quoted by 

 Captain Rcndire. says, "The Canada Grouse performs its drumming upon the 

 trunk of a standing tree of rather small size, preferably one that is inclined from 

 the perpendicular, and in the following manner: Commencing near the base of 

 the tree selected, the l)ird flutters upward with somewhat slow progress, but 

 rapidly beating wings, which produce the drumming sound. Having thus ascended 

 fifteen or twenty feet it glides quietly on the wing to the ground and repeats the 

 maneuver." According to this and other authorities a tree, usually spruce, hav- 

 ing a diameter of about six inches and inclining at an angle of about fifteen degrees, 

 is selected. Frequently these trees are used so extensively and for so long a time 

 that the bark on the upper side will be much worn. Other authorities, and among 

 them Indians, who live in the regions frequented by this grouse, claim that the 

 drumming is produced while flying from the branches of a tree to the ground, 

 repeating the operation several times in succession, .\nother authority describes 



917 



