y///: in ft i:i> tinnrsH. 493 



Tin- unhrrsal habit i.f all this family of <..illinacew in raid- r l. HIM :ui<l MM.-I in 



littlr squads i,r Mocks. Whriicr this .lilf.Mvni in ih-- habn^of (lie MUM binl, who knows I 

 Ah! wli-ncr ill.- ditTm-m . 'I'liat is ili,. , pi, ->ti. in " 



'I'M.- m-st nf ill.- I'iMM.it.-l '.K.'i- i- .1 in. I. struct lire of grasses and bare*, unl placed 



uiidn- ill.- shadow <>f a bus), ..r a lufl of thick i^niss. Tin- rggs an- brownish white, an<l aU.nt 

 lift.-.'ii in iiiiiiil"-! 



Til.- c,.l,,r .if ill.- I'iiin.-ii.-'l fiion-M- U imiitl>-d with lilark, \\liii.-, ami ch.-stnut brown, 

 the inali- haiing t\\.. wini: lik.- api-iidages on the neck. rom]Msed of rightrrn f,-aihrrs, live 

 loni; ami black, ami thirt--n slinii.-r, -i ivak.-<l with black ami brown. Tin- male In also 

 known by tin- slight civst on tin- head. a semicircular roml. <>f oraiu^- cnloivd skin o\-r 

 each ryr, ami tin- nakc<l a|.|H-ii(lage8 to the nwk ulninl\ ili-i-i-ilHl. H- is also larp-r 

 than lii-^ niato. Tin- iiinl-r iirt.s an- )>rown, inarkt^i with wliit*- in l>rokfii tmnsvcrw* 

 and the throat la whit.- with mottlinp* of nsMish-bniwn ami Mark. Tin- l.-n^ih i> 

 niii.-ii-.-ii ini-hf.. 



Thi- I'r.tiri.- Chi-k.-n. a> this binl i-^ also all-<l, a iii<i->l familiar ami valualilc N|d0^ i 

 .(.Mtiii.-<l to tin- valli-y of tin- Mis>i->ip|.i. ami .-astwanl to I'.M-OIIO Mountains, in IN-nnsylvania. 

 It wa> f..iin.-rl\ r..iiiinoii in New England, and some have lieen seen lat-ly in Martha's \ 'in.- 

 yanl. In tli.- .-arli-st days of s].rin- th.- I'rairif Chirk.-ns s..jcinil' into small imrtie.s, anl 

 \\h..n tli.- 11 ii I-OIIIIIII-IK-.-S thfir iMM-uliar inovfincnts an- commenced. A space is 



s.'|,N't,-,|, \\li.-r,- ili.- mal-s n ..... t ami enpige in furious l.attle*. At this season they are espe- 

 cially IHHII|MUS. Wiilioutspresul tails, ami uplifted heads, and tli.-ir..i-an^.- <-o|..n-| m-<-k-l>iillts 

 .-\t.-ii'l.-<l to th.-ir utmost, tln-y nil.-r th.-ir chanu-t-ristic booming Hound. Th.-ir wings are 

 <!. -liii.-.l. lik- thns.' ( .f tli.- turkey, in such dfinonstr.it ions*. They rise in the air and utrike at 

 enrli oih.T as tin- iniiiif-riM-k <lo's in combat. On the ap|Hnin(v of a female in answer to 

 tht-ir calls, they at once engage in t'-rritic c,.ml>at. Tlie iKMiinin^ sound is heard liefore day- 

 break, and also In-fore sunset. 



The eggs are said to be from right to twelve in nuinU-r. This (Jinii^.- is i-asily tamed, and 

 is domesticated to a certain rxtmt. Mr. AudulNin kept, a large niiinl)er, and had sevenil 

 broods of \.iiin- from th.-m. Tin- old on.-s fmiyht thr turkeys, and rvrn tin- dung-hill c<x-k 

 .-xhiltiting great couragi'. The (light of thrsr l.inls i- -tron- and swift, though Irss so than is 

 id.' ca.se ith tli.- rutT'-d <.iu--. 



Tlie tl'-sli. jus an ediM.-. is mimey, but is esteemed as excellent. The New York mark.- 1 is 

 now constantly supplied with it in the season. The name Prairie Grouse was probably given 

 it from the fact that it habitually sfks thr ,,j-n lirld. even when hunted. 



A variety found in Texas differs somrwhat in color of plumage. 



TIIK RfKKKD GROUSE (Boiuvta unfaUnjt), call.-d Pariridt:.' in New England, Bin-h Par- 

 tridge in the British provinces, and Pheasant in the Middle States, is found in all parts of thr 

 wo. ion of rastrrn North America, from Georgia to Nova Scotia, and from the Atlantic 



to the Rocky Mountains. 



In the spring, this bird fr-ds on buds ,,f srv.-ral kinds of trees, thr birch U-ing a favorite, 

 which gives a peculiar and ngreeaiblr tlavor ( thr im-at. Thr (light of this (Jrouse is low, 

 straightforward, and eontinurs for a frw hundn-l \anls. at th.- tim- iM^uin- his wings. It 

 HS.-S uiih a l..i|,l. uliinin- n.iis.. ul,.-u .li-iiiil..-,l. I nlik- tli- pi-iirir chick, -n. it .s,-,-ks th>- 

 wo<Hls whrn tlnshfd. 1-jirly in May tin- drumming of the males commences. They stand on 

 a log or elevated spot in a ivtin-d part ,.f th>- W.H>.|S, l.-w.-r the wings, exjmnd the tail, ami. 

 inflating the whole body, uith n,-<-k thn.n back, strut aln.ut iHunjMHisly. Tliey then begin 

 tostrikr thr wings a^iin-t th- \><*\y with a sl,,,ii. mpid motion, prodm-in-a sound rrs.-mbliiiL p 

 the Ic-ating t<grthrr of tw,. <]istrnded bhuldn-s. 'I'll- nijiiility is increased to such an -xt-nt 

 th- ^,.uml appears to be continuous. These sounds may be heard at all hours, but more gen- 

 erally early in th- morning. The broad fan-tail of this Grouse is especially beaut if id. and is 

 exhii>ited in full when it is parading before the female at the commencement of the breeding 



