162 HISTORY OF 



The Cock of the Wood, for it is from him we 

 will take our description, is, as was said, chiefly 

 fond of a mountainous and woody situation. In 

 winter he resides in the darkest and inmost part 

 of the woods ; in summer he ventures down from 

 his retreats, to make short depredations on the 

 farmer's corn. The delicacy of his flesh in some 

 measure sets a high price upon his head ; and as 

 he is greatly sought after, so he continues, when 

 he comes down from the hills, always on his 

 guard. Upon these occasions he is seldom sur- 

 prised ; and those who would take him, must 

 venture up to find him in his native retreats, 



The cock of the wood, when in the forest, at- 

 taches himself principally to the oak and the 

 pine tree ; the cones of the latter serving for his 

 food, and the thick boughs for a habitation. He 

 even makes a choice of what cones he shall feed 

 upon ; for he sometimes will strip one tree bare 

 before he will deign to touch the cones of ano- 

 ther. He feeds also upon ants' eggs, which seem 

 a high delicacy to all birds of the poultry kind ; 

 cranberries are likewise often found in his crop ; 

 and his gizzard, like that of domestic fowls, con- 

 tains a quantity of gravel, for the purpose of 

 assisting his powers of digestion. 



At the earliest return of spring this bird be- 

 gins to feel the genial influence of the season : 

 during the month of March, the approaches of 

 courtship are continued, and do not desist till the 

 trees have all their leaves, and the forest is in 

 full bloom. During this whole season the cock 

 of the wood is seen, at sun-rise and setting, ex- 



