THE GROUSE. 23 



guard. Upon these occasions he is seldom surprised ; and those 

 who would take him, must venture up to find him in his native 

 retreats. 



The cock of the wood, when in the forests, attaches 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 another. He feeds also upon ants' eggs, which 



i no ' 



seem a High delicacy to all birds of the poultry kind ; cranber- 

 ries are likewise often found in his crop ; and his gizzard, like 

 that of domestic fowls, contains a quantity of gravel, for the 

 purpose of assisting his powers of digestion. 



At the earliest return of spring, this bird begins 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, extremely active, upon one of the largest 

 branches of the pine tree. With his tail raised and expanded 

 like a fan, and the wings drooping, he is seen walking backward 

 and forward, his neck stretched out, his head swollen and red, 

 and making a thousand ridiculous postures : his cry upon that 

 occasion is a kind of loud explosion, which is instantly followed 

 by a noise like the whetting of a scythe, which ceases and com- 

 mences alternately for about an hour, and is then terminated by 

 the same explosion. 



During the time this singular cry continues, the bird seems 

 entirely deaf and insensible of every danger ; whatever noise may 

 be made near him, or even though fired at, he still continues 

 his call. Upon all other occasions, he is the most timorous 

 and watchful bird in nature ; but now he appears entirely absorb- 

 jed in his instincts ; and seldom leaves the place where he first 



