PINNATED GROUSE. 241 



at suitable seasons, the violation of which should be 

 punishable by heavy fines, the whole or greater, part to 

 go to the informer. 



The pinnated grouse are very capricious in choice 

 of sites on which to place their nests ; solitude and 

 vicinity to favourite food or other causes, of which 

 an outsider can know but little, must be accepted 

 as the probable reasons. However, I have generally 

 observed that a preference is shown for those places 

 where the prairie is covered with bunch- grass, par- 

 ticularly if the subsurface is moist, and the neigh- 

 bourhood not overstocked with cattle. This grouse 

 is easily caused to desert her nest, whether the in- 

 trusion be committed by man or beast ; on such 

 occasions a new nursery is chosen and a second lot 

 of eggs laid, but if misfortune should deprive her of 

 her brood after the young have left the egg, all 

 idea of raising a second family is laid aside, and the 

 chickless mother joins company with the first simi- 

 larly-situated unfortunate she may chance to meet. 

 Odd hen-birds, when found by the sportsman, are 

 frequently supposed to be barren, but in nine instances 

 out of ten, I am satisfied that some luckless cur dog, 

 mink, or weasel deserves the onus for the poor bird's 

 chickless lot. Towards the end of March or early 

 in April they commence pairing, the first indication 



K 



