1 to HISTORY OF 



The delicacy of his flesh, in some measure, sets a high price 

 upon his head ; and as he is greatly sought after, so he conti- 

 nues, when he comes down from the hills, always on his guard. 

 Upon these occasions, he is seldom surprised ; and those who 

 would tiike 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, tie 

 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 

 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 pur- 

 poses 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. Dur- 

 ing this whole season, the cock of the wood is seen at sunrise 

 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 commences al- 

 ternately 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 conti- 

 nues his call ; and this is the time that sportsmen generally take 

 to shoot him. Upon all other occasions, he is the most timor- 

 ous and watchful bird in nature ; but now he seems entirely ab- 

 sorbed by his instincts ; and seldom leaves the place where he 

 first begins to feel the accesses of desire. This extraordinary 

 cry, which is accompanied by a clapping of the wings, is no 

 sooner finished, than the female, healing it, replies, approaches, 



