48 JOURNA'lv OF MAINE ORNITHOI.OGICAI, SOCIKTY. 



The Canada Grouse is very rarely seen near settlements, one 

 reason for this being that owing to its tameness, or stupidity, nearly 

 all are killed off by the first settlers and no others come in to take 

 their place. There is no doubt but in Maine they are fast decreas- 

 ing, one reason being that of late years all through the Maine woods 

 sporting camps have been established, which are visited by thou- 

 sands of so-called sportsmen, who kill everything they see. These 

 regions were formerly visited only by hunters or lumbermen who 

 came mostly in winter. 



I have always found the male Canada Grouse greatly in excess 

 of the females, at least two males to one female. Their favorite 

 resorts are low, flat, spruce lands, and I have very rarely seen one 

 on any elevation, and never in hard wood growth. They feed 

 almost entirely upon the leaves, or "needles," of the spruce, fir and 

 juniper, occasionally in summer and fall eating a few berries. 

 Usually they are seen either singly or in twos or threes, although I 

 have heard of quite large flocks being seen. They are the tamest 

 of any bird in our woods. I have stood within six feet of one, and 

 he would raise the red membranes above his eyes and spread his 

 tail, letting me look at him as long as I wished without making any 

 move to escape. 



To show how tame they sometimes are, I once camped on an 

 island in an open spot, my tent being in front of a large fir tree, 

 which stood alone in the opening. Just after daylight a beautiful 

 male Canada Grouse came to this tree and began to pick his break- 

 fast of fir needles, being not over fifteen feet from the ground. Our 

 fireplace was only a few feet from the fir and almost directly under 

 where the bird sat. I hewed up some kindlings of very fat pine, 

 and after lighting them the black smoke rose up past him not over 

 two feet away from him, but he continued to walk round on the 

 limbs getting his breakfast while I cooked mine below. He was in 

 no haste and would often stop picking for a while. I should judge 

 that he was there at least half an hour. As it was Sunday we lay 

 in camp all day. I saw him in the forenoon on the ground close to 

 the camp, and while cooking at noon he came to the fir tree again 



