120 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
dows and amid the rocks above timber line. The female 
all through the summer, leads her brood of little 
ones about where insects, berries and seeds are most 
accessible. Like many other grouse, if her young are 
closely approached she feigns to be hurt, and runs off 
with dragging wings and seemingly feeble footsteps 
to lure the enemy to pursue her; but, after she has 
been followed for a little distance, takes wing and 
flies off up the mountain, to return on foot when the 
danger is past. By the middle of July the young are 
usually somewhat larger than quails, and at this time, 
instead of immediately hiding when approached, they 
take wing for a short flight, and, immediately on reach- 
ing the ground, hide, lying as close as any birds that 
I have ever seen. At such times, if the ground be 
fairly open, it is not difficult to see them as they crouch 
close to the earth, but as soon as they recognize that 
your eye has caught them, they spring into the air for 
another flight. I recall one morning when, traveling 
along a little valley, with a companion, we started 
several broods of well-grown young, of which we 
killed seventeen by shooting their heads off with our 
rifles. The birds were needed for food for the camp. 
As the young birds grow larger and more hardy, 
the mother leads them higher up the mountain, and 
by the end of August or first of September they are 
feeding among the green timber, at which time their 
principal food in some localities is a species of low- 
growing red huckleberry. By September or October 
the birds are nearly as large as the parent, and long be- 
