PRAIRIE HEN. 37 



tiou of the Turkey. He now seeks out or meets his rival, and 

 several pairs at a time, as soon as they become visible through 

 the dusky dawn, are seen preparing for combat. Previously to 

 this rencontre, the male, swelling out his throat, utters what is 

 called a tooting, — a ventriloquial, humming call on the female, 

 three times repeated ; and though uttered in so low a key, it 

 may yet be heard three or four miles in a still morning. About 

 the close of March in the plains of Missouri we heard this 

 species of Grouse tooting or humming in all directions, so that 

 at a distance the sound might be taken almost for the grunting 

 of the bison or the loud croak of the bull-frog. While utter- 

 ing his vehement call, the male expands his neck-pouches to 

 such a magnitude as almost to conceal his head, and blowing, 

 utters a low drumming bellow like the sound of ''k'-tom-boo, 

 ^k'-tom-boo, once or twice repeated, after which is heard a sort 

 of guttural squeaking crow or kodk, koak, koak. In the inter- 

 vals of feeding we sometimes hear the male also cackling, or 

 as it were crowing like ^ko ko ko ko, kooh kooh. While en- 

 gaged in fighting with each other, the males are heard to utter 

 a rapid, petulant cackle, something in sound like excessive 

 laughter. The tooting is heard from before daybreak till 

 eight or nine o'clock in the morning. As they frequently as- 

 semble at these scratching-places, as they are called, ambus- 

 cades of bushes are formed round them, and many are shot 

 from these coverts. 



The female carefully conceals her nest in some grassy tus- 

 sock on the ground, and is but seldom discovered. The eggs 

 are from ten to twelve, and of a plain brownish color. The 

 young are protected and attended by the female only, who 

 broods them under her wings in the manner of the common 

 fowl, and leads them to places suitable for their food, some- 

 times venturing with her tender charge to glean along the 

 public paths. When thus surprised, the young dart into the 

 neighboring bushes, and there skulk for safety, while the wily 

 parent beguiles the spectator with her artful pretences of 

 lameness. The affectionate parent and her brood thus keep 

 together throughout the whole season. By the aid of a dog 



