THE PINNATED GROUSE. 63 



the severity of the winter. The curious feature of this migra- 

 tion is, that only the females are beheved to change their 

 quarters. Writing from Minnesota, Mr. Miller says : " The 

 females in this latitude migrate south in the fall and come 

 back in spring, about one or two days after the first Ducks, 

 and they keep coming in flocks of from ten to thirty for about 

 three days, all flying north. The Grouse that stay all the 

 winter are males." 



Captain Bendire publishes the following amusing and 

 interesting account of the love-making of this species : " Early 

 in the morning you may see them assemble in parties, from a 

 dozen to fifty together, on some high dry knolls, where the 

 grass is short, and their goings on would make you laugh. 

 The cock birds have a loose patch of naked yellow skin on 

 each side of the neck just below the head, and above these on 

 either side, just where the head joins the neck, are a few long 

 black feathers, which ordinarily lay backward on the neck, but 

 which, when excited, they can pitch straight forward. Those 

 yellow naked patches on either side of the neck cover sacs 

 which they can blow up like a bladder whenever they choose. 

 These are their ornaments, which they display to the best 

 advantage before the gentler sex at these love-feasts. This they 

 do by blowing up these air-sacs till they look like two ripe 

 oranges, on each side of the neck, projecting their long black 

 ears right forward, rufil'ng up all the feathers of the body till 

 they stand out straight, and dropping their wings on the ground 

 like a Turkey cock. . . . 



" Then it is that the proud cock, in order to complete his 

 triumph, will rush forward at its best speed for two or three 

 rods through the midst of the love-sick damsels, pouring out 

 as he goes a booming noise, almost a hoarse roar, only more 

 subdued, which may be heard for at least two miles in the still 

 morning air. This heavy booming sound is by no means 

 harsh or unpleasant, on the contrary it is soft and even har- 

 monious. When standing in the open prairie at early dawn 



