BIRDS. 137 



birds of the poultry kind by a naked skin of a scarlet colour, 

 above the eyes, in the place and of the figure of eye-brows. 



It seems to be something extraordinary, that all the larger 

 wild animals of every species choose the darkest and the inmost 



neck wings, wheeling and passing before the female, and close before his 

 fellows, as in defiance. Now and then are he.ixd some rapid and crackling 

 notes, not unlike that of a person tickled to excessive laughter; and, in 

 ohort, one can scarcely listen to tliera without feeling disposed to laugli from 

 sympathy. These are uttered by the males while engaged iu fight, on wliidi 

 occasion they leap up against each other, exactly iu the manner of turkeys, 

 seemingly with more malice than efl'ect. This bumming continues from a 

 little before daybreak to eight or nine o'clock in the morning, when the 

 parties separate to seek for food. The pinnated groiis is nineteen inches 

 long, twenty-seven inches in extent, and, when in good order, weighs about 

 three pounds and a half." 



The Black Grons, or Black CocAr.— This bird, though not lai'ger than the 

 common hen, weighs nearly four pounds ; its length is about one foot ten 

 inches, breadth two feet nine. The bill is black ; the eyes dark blue ; below 

 each eye there is a spot of a dirty white colour, and above a large one, of a 

 bright scarlet, which extends almost to the top cf the head ; the general 

 colour of the plumage is a deep black, richly glossed with blue on the neck 

 and rump ; the lesser wing-coverts are dusky brown ; the greater are wliite, 

 which extends to the ridge of the A\^ng, forming a spot of that colour on the 

 shoulder, when the wing is closed : the quills are brown, the lower parts 

 and tips of the secondaries are white, forming a bar of white across the 

 wing ; there is like^vise a spot of white on the bastard wing ; the featliers 

 of the tail arc almost square at the ends, and, when spread out, form a curve 

 on each side ; the under tail coverts are of a pure white ; the legs and thighs 

 are of a dark brown colour, mottled with white ; the toes are toothed on the 

 edges, like those of the former species. Iu some of our specimens the nos. 

 trils are thickly covered with feathers, wliilst in others they are quite bare, 

 probably owing to the dift'erent ages of the birds. These birds, like the for- 

 mer, are found chiefly in high and woody situations in the northern parts of 

 our islaud ; they are comniun in Russia, Siberia, and other northern coun- 

 tries : they feed on various kinds of berries and other fruits, the produce of 

 wild and mountainous places. In summer they frequently come down from 

 their lofty situations, for the sake of feeding upon corn. They do not pair ; 

 but, on the return of spring, the males assemble in great numbers, at their 

 accustomed resorts, on the tops of high and heathy moimtains, when the 

 contest for superiority commences, and continues with great bitterness till 

 the vanquished are put to flight. The victors, being loft in possession of the 

 field, place themselves on an eminence, clap tlieir wings, and \\ith loud cries 

 give notice to their females, mIio immediately resort to the spot. It is said, 

 that each cock has two or three hens, which eeera jjarticularly attached to 

 him. The female is about one-third less than the male, and differs from hun 

 considerably in colour ; her tail is likewise much less forked. She makes 

 an artless nest on the ground, whereshelayssixoreight eggs of a yellowish 

 colour, with freckles and spots of a rusty brown. The young cocks at first 

 resemble the mother, and do not acquire their male garb till towards the 



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