THE BLACK GEOUSE. G35 



The Cock of the Plains is closely allied to the preceding species. 



It is an American bird, being found in the dry plains in the interior of southern 

 California. Like the cock of the woods, this bird is accustomed during the breeding 

 season to disport himself after a peculiar and grotesque manner, drooping his M'ings, 

 spreading his tail like a fan, puffing out his crop until the bare yellow skin stands 

 prominently forward, somewhat after the fashion of the pouter pigeon, and erecting the 

 long silken plvimes of the neck. Thus accoutred, he parades the gi-ound with much 

 dignity, turning himself about so as to display his shape to the best advantage, assuming 

 a variety of rather ludicrous attitudes, and uttering a loud booming cry that is compared 

 to the sound made by blowing strongly into a large hollow reed. 



The nest of this bird is made of dried grasses and small twigs, and is placed on tlie 

 ground under the shelter of bushes or rank herbage. It is rather carefullj' made, and 

 generally contains from thirteen to seventeen brown eggs blotched with chocolate on the 

 large end. The Cock of the Plains is a gregarious bird, assembling in little troops in the 

 summer and autumn, and in laige flocks of several hundred in number during the winter 

 and spring. Tlie Hesh of this bird is eatable, but dark in colour and not of a very good 

 flavour. 



The male is a very handsome bird, bro^vn on the upper surface and mottled with very 

 dark brown and yellowish white. The skin of the crop is deep orange-yellow, and on 

 each side of it is a tuft of long and very slender feathers, ha^dng the shafts nearly naked, 

 and dotted at the tip with a pencil of black bands. The throat and head are white 

 profusely variegated with black, and the white feathers of the sides are firm, rounded, and 

 of a scale-like form. The shafts of the breast-feathers are black and stiff. In total length 

 this bird measures about twenty-two inches. The female is less in size, is without the 

 feather-tufts on the neck and the scale-like plumage of the sides. 



The well-known Black Geouse, or Black Cock, is a native of the more southern 

 cormtries of Europe, and still survives in many portions of the British Isles, especially 

 those localities where the pine-v/oods and heaths afford it shelter, and it is not dislodged 

 by the presence of human habitations. 



Like the two preceding species, the male bird resorts at the beginning of the breeding 

 season to some oj)en spot whei'e he utters his love-calls, and displays his new clothes to 

 the greatest advantage, for the purpose of attracting to his harem as many wives as possible. 

 The note of the Black Cock when thus engaged is loud and resonant, and can be heard at 

 a considerable distance. This crowing sound is accompanied by a harsh, grating, stridu- 

 lous kind of cry, which has lieen likened to the noise produced liy whetting a scythe. 

 The Black Cock does not pair, but leaves his numerous mates to the duties of maturity 

 and incubation, and follows his own desires while they prepare their nests, lay their eggs, 

 hatch them, and bring up the young. The mother-bird is a fond and watchful parent, and 

 when she has been alarmed by man or beasts of prey, has been known to remove the eggs 

 to some other locality, where she thinks they will not be discovered. 



The nest is a careless kind of structure, of grasses and stout herbage, and is placed on 

 the ground under the shelter of grass or bushes. The female lays about six or ten eggs 

 of a yellowish grey diversified with spots of liglit brown. The young are fed first 

 upon insects and their larvae, and aftervvards on berries, grain, the buds and young shoots 

 of trees. 



It is a wild and wary bird, requiring much care on the part of the sportsman to get 

 within lair gunshot. Tlie old male which has survived a season or two is particidarly 

 shy and crafty, distrusting both man and dog, and running away as fast as his legs can 

 carry him as soon as he is made aware of the ap]}roacliing danger. 



In the autumn the young males separate themselves from the other sex, and form a 

 number of little bachelor establishments of their own, living together in harmony until 

 tlie next breeding season, when they all begin to fall in love ; the apple of discord is 

 thrown among them by the charms of the hitherto repudiated s(!X, and their rivalries 

 lead them into determined and continual liattles, which do not cease until the end of the 

 season restores tliem to peace and sobriety, and they need fear no foes save the beasts and 

 birds of yney, and tlieir worst enemy, the autumnal British statesman. 



