10 



ORIS^ITIIOLOGTST 



[Yol. U-^o. 1 



those in a wild state will not be further ad- 

 vanced in moulting by the end of September. 



Through the latter part of the winter of 1888, 

 and when the nesting season began, I had six 

 hens and one cock. When first caught and 

 placed in this enclosvire, the birds were quite 

 shy and kept themselves out of sight most of 

 the time, hiding under the limbs of the spruce 

 trees. After a few weeks, however, they be- 

 came tame, and would come and eat their 

 food quite fearlessly wlien brought to them. 

 Indeed, I have had three or four of them get 

 upon my knees at the same time and eat from 

 my hands. They are perfectly contented in 

 their new home and do not exhibit the least 

 appearance of uneasiness, nor any desire to 

 obtain their freedom. When I go in they will 

 often come up to me and look for food in the 

 same manner as domestic fowls. 



It is very interesting to watch the male bird 

 strutting. His performances appear laughable 

 to one looking on, and in this attitude he has 

 the appearance of an entirely different bird. 

 The tail stands nearly erect, the wings are 

 slightly raised from the body and a little 

 drooped, the head well up, and the feathers of 

 the throat and breast raised and standing 

 straight out in regular rows, which press the 

 feathers of the nape and hin.l neck well l)ack, 

 forming a smooth kiiul of cape on the back of 

 the neck. 



This smooth cape contrasts beautifully with 

 the ruffled black and white feathers of the 

 throat and forebreast. The red comb over 

 each eye is enlarged until the two neai-ly meet 

 over the top of the head. This comb the bird 

 has the power of enlarging or reducing at will, 

 and, while he is strutting, the expanded tail is 

 moved from side to side, regularly with each 

 step, and this movement of the tail produces a 

 distinct and peculiar rustling like that of silk. 

 In this attitude he may be seen almost any 

 time from the middle of March to the middle 

 of July. During this period, if I should hap- 

 pen to go to the pen when he is not strutting 

 it is an easy matter to make him do so. 



He will sometimes sit with his breast almost 

 touching the eartli and 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 for two or 

 three minutes at a time. He is a most beauti- 

 ful bird, and shows by his actions that he is 

 perfectly acquainted with the fact. 



The females, in the nesting season, are very 

 quarrelsome. They seem to wish to get away 

 by themselves, and it is seldom that more than 



two or three can be kept in the same pen. 

 When tlie nesting is over, the social instinct 

 asserts itself and they become again on friendly 

 terms, and oi'derly members of a well regu- 

 lated establishment, and may all be kejjt in 

 one pen without difficulty. 



As the nesting season approacdies, 1 prepare 

 suitable places by putting spruce limbs in such 

 a way as to form a cosy little slu^lter, in whicli 

 a bird may form a nest. They pay no atten- 

 tion to this until they want to lay. \VMion 

 that time comes they select a spot and, alter 

 making a depression in tlie ground, they de- 

 posit in it the egg. 



During the time a hen is on the nest laying 

 she makes, continually, a kind of cooing sound 

 which I have never heard on any other occa- 

 sion. If there should be grasses and leaves at 

 hand, in sufficient (juantity, she will sometimes 

 cover up the egg, but not in all cases. No 

 nesting material is taken to the nest by the 

 bird until three or four eggs are laid. After 

 having deposited this number, the hen, eveiy 

 time she leaves the nest after laying, picks up 

 straws, leaves, grasses and whatever else she 

 requires, and throws the material thus selected 

 back belnnd her as she walks away from the 

 nest. She does not carry these things to the 

 nest nor i)ay any further attention to tliem, be- 

 yond throwing them behind her vuitil another 

 egg is laid, when the same performance is re- 

 peated, and, by the time the clutch is com- 

 pleted quite a (juantity of material has been 

 gathered up near the nest. While sitting on 

 the eggs she will then reach around and draw 

 in wliatever she requires that is within her 

 reach, sometimes stepping up on the edge of 

 the nest and picking up a (juantity of straws; 

 she will then back down gently with it and de- 

 posit them around her. I have never seen the 

 birds carrying material to the nest, nor pro- 

 ceeding in any other manner than that de- 

 scribed. 



As the coloring of the eggs is entirely on the 

 surface I removed them from the nest as soon 

 as laid to prevent them getting soiled or the 

 spots blurred, leaving only the nest egg. In 

 this way I have been able to secure the most 

 perfect specimens that can possibly be ob- 

 tained. I have been very careful to keep the 

 eggs of each bird separate, and also the date 

 upon which each egg was laid. The dates 

 corresponding to the eggs laid are as fol- 

 lows: 



Hen No. 1, May 2d, 5th, 7th, lOth, 12th, ITjth, 

 nth, 2()th, 22d, 24th, 2r)th, .June :U1, C.th, Sth, 

 11th, 14th. Total, Ifi. 



