GROUSE. 211 



The locality to which tho cock resorts at such times is cither on a level rock in some 

 opening of the forest, or on the upper branches of a pine. Here he begins his i)er- 

 formanccs hy first uttering a note something like pellep repeated once or twice at 

 intervals, and he is then on the watch for any enemy, as is also the case when he 

 sounds his second note kliskop^ resembling a gulp in the throat. But while emitting 

 the third and last sound hede! hede! hede ! the head is thrown backwards, the neck 

 waves to and fro, the tail is raised at right angles to the body, the wings quiver, and 

 the excited bird either pirouettes upon his perch, or slides sideways along the branch. 

 At this moment, it is asserted, he is both deaf and blind, and knows nothing of what 

 is going on about liim, of which fiict the hunter takes advantage to ajijiroach near for 

 a successful shot. This play, or 'spel ' as it is called, is frequently repeated, and the 

 hens, on hearing the call, assemble from all points, and alight near him, often on the 

 same tree. A little before sunrise the performer descends to some open spot, where 

 the hens collect about him, and between the intervals of the 'sjicl,' which is still con- 

 tinued, he pairs with each member of his harem. Young cocks are not permitted to 

 *spel ' in the presence of the old males, but are speedily driven away should any ven- 

 ture to ajiproacli. The cocks fight with great fierceness during the breeding season, 

 springing high in the air and striking with their wings and claws, and endeavoring to 

 seize each other with their bills, and, when successful in this effort, the weaker is held 

 down to the ground and severely ])unislied. The female scrapes a hole beneath some 

 tree or bush, and lays from five to fifteen eggs, of a yellowish color sjiolted with light 

 brown, and incubation lasts, it is said, for one month. The young remain with the 

 mother until the next winter. The male ca]iercaili greatly exceeds the female in size 

 and weight, individuals simietimes turning the scale at twelve and thirteen ))ounds. 

 The upper parts are blackish-brown, each feather mottled with grayish ; the feathers 

 of the throat are elongated and black; breast black with green reflections; flanks 

 brownish-gray sprinkled with black; under tail-coverts black, tipped with white ; the 

 tail black. The female is reddish-brown, barred and blotched with black ; sides of the 

 neck, throat, and breast rich orange, barred with black on the neck ; lower parts pale 

 orange, feathers tijiped with white; tail reddish-brown, l)arred with blackish-brown. 



The ruffeil-grouse, so called from its possessing tufts of numerous Avide soft 

 feathers on each side of the neck, which the bird is cajiable of elevating, with its allies 

 of both hemispheres, is distinguished from all other grouse by having the lower part of 

 the legs bare of feathers, and constitute the genus Bonasa. The American species 

 consist of the B. niitheUus and its two sul)-species or varieties, which are distributed 

 throughout the northern United States and Vancouver Island. The Rocky Mountain 

 form has been designated B.tajibelloide.1, and is a small gray bird with rather different 

 markings from the tyjiical style, and a small ruff, while the variety of the west coast, 

 known as B. sabinei, is a large binl of a general dai-k orange-chestnut color. All the 

 forms delight in woods and dense thickets, are extremely shy, rise with a great 

 whirring noise, fly straight and swiftly. They roost in trees, and, when disturbed, take 

 refuge among the thickest foliage and remain perfectly motionless. The nest is 

 placed upon the ground, composed of leaves an<l plants, and the eggs, ten or more in 

 number, are yellowish or cream color, spotted with dull red. The male has a singular 

 haliit calle<l ' drumming,' which is indulged in at various seasons of the year. He 

 stands ujpon a trunk of some fallen tree, and, stretching himself into a horizontal posi- 

 tion, beats stiffly downwards with his wings, slowly at first, increasing the strokes 

 until they become so rapid that the wings are invisible. This produces a loud rolling 



