UPLAND SHOOTING. 77 



that it f^enerally rained in tlie course of that afternoon. Wiien, 

 on the contrary, tlie same flock would remain busily engaged in 

 search of food, until sunset, I found tiie following morning fre.sh 

 and clear. Indeed, I believe that this kind of foresight exists in 

 the whole tribe of gallinaceous birds. 



" One day, while on the coast of Labrador, I accidentally al- 

 most walked upon a female Canada Grouse, surrounded by her 

 young brood. It was on the 18th of July. The affrighted mo- 

 ther, on seeing us, rullied up all her feathers, like a common hen, 

 and advanced close to us, as if determined to defend her offspring. 

 Her distressed condition claimed our forbearance, and we allow- 

 ed her to remain in safety. The moment w^e retired, she smoothed 

 down her plumage, and uttered a tender maternal cluck, when 

 the little ones took to their wings, although they were, I can 

 venture to assert, not more than one iceek old, with so much ease 

 and delight, that I felt highly pleased at having allowed them to 

 escape. 



"Two days afterward, my youthful and industrious party 

 returned to the Ripley w^ith a pair of these Grouse in moult. 

 This species undergoes that severe trial at a much earlier season 

 than the Willow Ptarmigan. INIy son reported that some young 

 ones which he saw with their mother, were able to fly fully a 

 hundred yards, and alighted on the low trees, among which he 

 caught several of them, which, however, died before he reached 

 the vessel. 



" This species is found not only in the vState of Maine, but 

 also in the mountainous districts of New Hampshire, and the 

 northern parts of New York, as well as around our Northern 

 Great Lakes and the head-waters of the IMissouri. It is abun- 

 dant in the British Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, 

 Newfoundland and Labrador. 



" Among the great number, procured at all seasons of the 

 year, which I have examined, I never found one without the 

 rufous band at the extremity of the tail ; nor did I see any hav- 

 ing the terminal white spot on the upper tail-coverts, exhibited 

 in figures of this species. 



