122 The Grouse Family 



looking down at the intruder, and even moving 

 upon the limbs as though only slightly interested 

 in the whole business. But let the man follow 

 the dog, and a change takes place. One of two 

 things happens — either the grouse leave the 

 tree, or they stretch to their full height and re- 

 main bolt upright and perfectly motionless. 

 When so posed only an experienced eye can 

 readily detect them, for they would easily pass 

 for so many decayed and broken stubs. Even 

 the skilled sportsman, who knows this habit of 

 the bird, and who is warned by the actions of the 

 dog that the game is somewhere in a tree imme- 

 diately above, frequently has difficulty in locating 

 the quarry. His safest plan is first to let his eye 

 follow the trunk to the top, as the probability is 

 that the game will be perched near the trunk. If 

 this fails, the next thing is to begin at the lowest 

 limb and examine it from the trunk to the tip, 

 and repeat the process limb after limb. This, of 

 course, must eventually locate the bird ; but the 

 sportsman will do well to keep his gun ready for 

 swift action. Strange as it may appear, the bird 

 seems to know the instant it is observed ; then it 

 at once takes wing. A flushed grouse is apt to 

 fly straight away from the rising-point and in 

 ordinary woods not very far. Should the bird 

 keep low, the chances are that it will pitch upon 

 the ground ; but if the last view of it shows a 



