g2 GAME BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 
rapidity, uttering a loud, cackling note, and if there are 
several together, the noise they make at such a time is 
very considerable. The nesting season begins in May or 
June, according to the elevation at which the birds may 
be, and but one brood is raised in a season. A depres- 
sion is made in the ground by a fallen log, or beneath a 
bush, or perhaps in thick grass, or it may be right in the 
open without any concealment, and this is lined without 
much care with grass or any material that can be pressed 
down by the bird, and about eight eggs are deposited. 
Sometimes this number is greatly exceeded, and then it 
is a question whether they have not been laid by more 
than one hen. The eggs have a ground color varying 
from a creamy white to a rather deep buff, dotted, 
spotted, and sometimes blotched with chestnut or choco- 
late brown, and these markings are pretty evenly dis- 
tributed all over the shell. The female remains on the 
nest for about three weeks, when the young appear. 
The chicks are exceedingly pretty little creatures, very 
active, running as soon as they leave the shell, and are 
adepts in hiding at the first alarm. The mother appears 
to have the sole charge of their welfare, and clucks to 
them in a similar manner as does the domestic hen to 
her brood. When frightened the young scatter in every 
direction, and the old bird usually takes refuge in some 
tree. As soon as the chicks are sufficiently grown so as 
to be able to fly, they also immediately take to the trees 
if alarmed, but make no farther effort to escape, seeming 
to believe they are quite out of danger as soon as they 
have left the ground. From the habit which these 
birds have of remaining motionless on the branches 
until sometimes the entire covey is shot or killed 
with sticks, they have received the name of Fool 
hen or Fool Grouse. The flesh of this bird is white 
