262 GROUSE. SNIPE, QUAIL, WOODCOCK, ETC. 



the bird seems to have a couple of oranges attached to 

 its neck. Walking upon its toes, the wings lowered, 

 and scraping the ground, the tail spread like a fan — 

 in short, imitating the strut of the turkey-cock, — and 

 with these two yellow globes, the bird has a most 

 extraordinary appearance. 



The adult bird will weigh three pounds, and some 

 of the old cocks will often weigh from half to three- 

 quarters of a pound more. 



The sportsman can scarcely go wrong over our Texas 

 plains to get good grouse-shooting. When disturbed, 

 the covey generally takes a very long flight, rarely 

 stopping short of a mile when flushed; and should there 

 be a stiff breeze blowing:, and if thev start with it under 

 their tails, you will be fortunate if they stop before 

 having flown a couple of miles at the very least. But 

 as the atmosphere is always clear, anyone accustomed 

 to prairie life will find little difficulty in marking them 

 down, though a tiro would, to a certainty, be deceived 

 by the prairie, and fancy himself on the very spot, 

 though possibly he may be half-a-mile short of it. 



\\'hen grouse shooting in Texas, I generally managed 

 thus : When my dogs came to a point, I used to dismount 

 (all kinds of sports are pursued on horseback in Texas, 

 both from the heat of the weather and the extent of the 

 country, as well as for the convenience of packing home 

 the game, shoe-leather being dearer than horse-flesh), 

 and throwing the lasso, attached to my horse's head-stall. 



