PINE-WOOD STUDIES 7 



the first. And now, with the sun glinting from his 

 burnished feathers, it is seen what a really handsome 

 bird the blackcock is. With his richly-lustred 

 plumage of metallic blue-black iridescence, he is 

 quite the most imposing of the grouse family. The 

 youngest cock is quickly driven from the field; and, 

 on the principle that none but the brave deserve the 

 fair, the grey hens will have none of him. They 

 have witnessed his defeat and retreat, and un- 

 concernedly recommence their picking of birch and 

 alder shoots. Then the older birds begin to display 

 their brilliant plumage to the best advantage, and in 

 this the sun aids them. They utter a series of deep 

 guttural sounds, and strut, turkey-like, with out- 

 stretched necks and drooping wings, their beautifully 

 lyre-shaped tails fully expanded. Sometimes the 

 birds ascend, perform aerial evolutions, and im- 

 mediately upon reaching the ground, commence 

 strutting as before. At times they make a dash 

 at each other; but it is only when a number of 

 males are together that a general melee occurs. 

 The hens are by no means dead to these displays, 

 and condescend so far as to watch them from the 

 confines of the bushes. Each cock is usually 

 followed by five or six hens, though sometimes ten or 

 a dozen constitute his harem. 



After going together for some time, the hens are 

 seen to frequent much the vicinity of low-growing 



