■fi3 FRANK FORESTERS FIELD SPORTS. 



the Barrens, he one morning recognized the well-known muslft 

 of his old acquaintances, the Grouse, which, he assures me, are 

 the very same with those he had known in Pennsylvania. But, 

 what appeared to me the most remarkable circumstance relative 

 to this bird, is, that none of all those writers who have attempted 

 i:.3 history, have taken the least notice of those two extraordi- 

 nary bags of yellow skin, which mark the neck of the male, and 

 which constitute so striking a peculiarity. These appear to be 

 formed by an expansion of the gullet, as well as of the exterior 

 skin of the neck, which, when the bird is at rest, hangs in loose, 

 pendulous wrinkled folds along the side of the neck, the supple- 

 mental wings, at the same time, as well as when the bird is fly- 

 ing, lying along the neck. But when these bags are inflated 

 with air, in breeding-time, they are equal in size, and very 

 much resemble in color a middle-sized, fully-ripe orange. By 

 means of this curious apparatus, which is very observable seve- 

 ral hundred yards off", he is enabled to produce the extraordinary 

 sound mentioned above, which though it may easily be imitated, 

 is yet difficult to describe by words. It consists of three notes 

 of the same tone, resembling those produced by the Night- 

 Hawks, in their rapid descent, each strongly accented, the latter 

 being twice as long as the others. When several are thus en- 

 gaged, the ear is unable to distinguish the regularity of those 

 triple notes, there being at such times one continued humming, 

 which is disagreeable and perplexing, from the impossibility of 

 ascertaining from what distance or quarter it proceeds. While 

 uttering this, the bird exhibits all the ostentatious gesticulations 

 of a Turkey-cock, erecting and fluttering his neck-wings, wheel- 

 ing and passing before the female, and close before his fellows, 

 as in defiance. Now and then are heard some rapid, cackling 

 notes, not unlike that of a person tickled to excessive laughter ; 

 and, in short, one can scarcely listen to them without feeling 

 disposed to laugh from sympathy. These are uttered by the 

 the males, while engaged in fight, on which occasion they leap 

 up against each other, exactly in the manner of Turkies, seem- 

 '"g^y '"^ith more malice than effect. This humming continues 



