2o6 Cincinnati Socitty of Natural History. 



the foliage. The character of this spot verifies the statement of 

 the guides that you will usually find this bird in the wildest places 

 of the forests. 



I had the good fortune to secure this bird, and at night while 

 the hunters were gathered in the meeting room below, in the hotel, 

 I went upstairs, skinned and dissected it.' I found its stomach and 

 crop full of leaves, which I showed to James Dunbar and another 

 party, in the morning. They instantly recognized the leaves to be 

 • those of the tamarack tree, otherwise known as Hackmatack or 

 Black Larch. [Larix Aj/icn'cana, Michx.) The tamarack leaves 

 in the stomach were undergoing digestion. 



The grouse was subsequently cooked and a more delicious 

 bird I have never eaten. Mr. Scudder Todd, of Lyons Falls, and 

 my son Schuyler and myself ate the bird, and all agreed that it was 

 a delicious morsel. Sitting at the dining room table adjoining us 

 was the Rev. Henry R. Lockwood, of Syracuse, with his family. 

 He is a great sportsman, and has been tor a number of years a 

 summer occupant of one of Dunbar's cottages at Sallwater. I 

 happened casually to mention to him that this grouse had been 

 feeding on tamarack leaves. He immediately inquired whether the 

 flesh was not bitter. I replied in the negative, and informed him 

 that on the contrary, we found it very sweet, and savory and 

 delicious. He expressed surprise and interest at the fact. He re- 

 marked that it had been supposed that toward the fall this grouse 

 was compelled for lack of food to eat spruce leaves and the like, 

 and that then its flesh became bitter and unpalatable and he was 

 pleased to know to the contrary. 



