350 TETRAONID^. 



cereal plants, and in summer and autumn includes those 

 of the grasses and rushes. While thus employed, it walks 

 and runs among the herbage with considerable agility, 

 and, when apprehensive of danger, flies off to a sheltered 

 place, or settles down and remains motionless until the 

 intruder passes by. It perches adroitly, and walks securely 

 on the branches ; but its ordinary station is on the ground, 

 where also it reposes at night. It may often, especially 

 in spring, be seen on the turf-top of the low walls inclosing 

 plantations. Its flight is heavy, direct, and of moderate 

 velocity, and is capable of being protracted to a great 

 distance."* 



The Grey Hen constructs a rude nest of withered grass 

 and a few twigs in the shelter of some low bush, and 

 lays from five to ten eggs. The male bird takes no part 

 in the bringing up of the brood, but leaves the duties of 

 incubation and attention to the wants of his family to the 

 hen, who devotes herself wholly to the careful nurture of 

 her little ones. While the poults are in their nonage, she 

 assiduously leads them about where food is most abundant ; 

 and if surprised by an intruder, leaves them to hide among 

 the heath and ferns, creeps rapidly herself to some distance, 

 and then rises in a fluttering manner, so that a stranger to 

 her habits would suppose her to be wounded. By the 

 20th of August the young are supposed to be fully fledged, 

 and the sportsman is expected not only to show his skill 

 as a marksman, but his quickness of eye in discriminating 

 between males and females as the covey rises. The former 

 are to be distinguished by their richer colouring, and by 

 the more strongly marked white on the wings. At this 

 season the old Black Cocks club together. 



The Black Cock is found in greater or less quantities in 

 the moorland districts of many of the English counties, 

 but is most abundant in the north of England and Wales, 

 and in Scotland. 



* Macgillivray. 



