CANADA GROUSE. IOI 
winter. The Spruce Grouse is found usually in small 
flocks consisting generally of one family, but also old 
males are frequently met with alone, and I have always 
regarded it as a bird that was rather fond of solitude. 
Frequently, even in autumn, when the nights were be- 
coming frosty, and snow flurries would hide the sun by 
day, heralding the coming winter, I have seen an old 
male, in the recesses of a swamp, strut about with ruffled 
feathers and trailing wings, as if the air were balmy and 
mild and spring were at hand to awaken in his breast the 
all-controlling passion of love, instead of being near the 
freezing point. He may have been going over the per- 
formance to keep himself in practice, or to impress me, 
possibly, with a proper sense of his own importance, for 
all his movements were calm and dignified in the ex- 
treme, and there was not the slightest evidence of fear, or 
of his being in any way incommoded by such an unim- 
portant event as my presence. 
I have never known the Canada Grouse to assemble 
together in large numbers or “ pack”’ as it is called in 
the Western States, and if this has ever happened, it 
would be, I should imagine, a very unusual occurrence, 
and a large number of birds would find it very difficult 
to obtain sufficient food in any one locality even for a 
day. 
The mating season begins in April, sometimes in the 
far north May is the earliest month, and at this time the 
male appears to the greatest advantage, and no Turkey 
Gobbler, in all his magnificence of gleaming scarlet and 
gold, is a prouder creature than this small Grouse. He 
tries by every means in his power to attract attention to 
himself and gain the admiration of anybody that is look- 
ing at him, whether it be the object of his affections, the 
demure and quiet little hen, or perchance his mortal 
