36 Bonasa Umbellus, Rex. 



horrible thing, until at evening, when the 

 chicks were gathered about her it huskily 

 buzzed from her breast. She caught it 

 quickly, but could not swallow it for the 

 tough elastic legs had encircled the edge 

 of her bill, nor could she crush it because 

 the leathery body expanded in any direc- 

 tion when she brought all her strength to 

 bear upon it. Finally the foul tick in the 

 most unconcerned manner deliberately 

 crawled from her bill and with its fiendish 

 directness struck the neck of one of the 

 handsomest of the brood and fastened it- 

 self there firmly in the intention of remain- 

 ing in spite of all remonstrance. On the 

 following day the tick, swelling with the 

 life blood of the chicken, discarded its wings 

 as an evidence of determination to remain, 

 and a few days later it gave birth to a single 

 offspring, full- winged and ready for attack. 

 The young imp fastened itself to the 

 chicken's neck close by its parent, and no 

 matter how hard the mother grouse pulled 

 at them she only succeeded in stretching 

 out their rubber-like bodies and in pulling 

 her little chick off from his feet. Day by 



