THE BUFFED GROUSE. 91 



The wily aboriginal, having exchanged a mental inven- 

 tion for a good, cigar, drops his tiiolling-spoou into the 

 water, and paddles away with silent stroke. 



In a stage whisper, the boy asks to be put ashore. 

 The father consents, then continues quietly on his way, 

 while the boy, who has never seen a quail or a grouse 

 much less a wild turkey with fast-beating heart and 

 unsteady step, follows the indistinct path along the 

 stream. Very soon he is startled by a rustling in the dry 

 leaves, and sees a large bird, with fan-like tail, step into 

 the path before him. The gun is raised, and fired without 

 aim, and the bird is seen fluttering in its death-struggles. 



"So you are a wild turkey, are you?" soliloquizes 

 the boy, as he holds with trembling hands his prize. 

 But before he can shout to his father, two men appear 

 on the path, and stop to learn the cause of the shot. 

 The boy holds his game aloft, but is checked in enthusi- 

 astic utterance by the indifference on the two new faces. 

 Then one of the two slowly says: "Ye killed a pattridge, 

 did ye r 3 



Confused beyond responsibility for his words, the boy 

 asks: " Is that a pattridge ?" 



"Yes, sonny, that's a pattridge; didn't think it was 

 a whale, did ye ?" 



But we will pass by that first great disappointment, 

 and the fact that the dismantled "turkey" regained 

 much of its original magnificence before the day was 

 ended, and return to the habits of Bonasa, which will 

 perhaps interest the reader more. 



This species, I believe, is the only one known to have 

 the habit of plunging into light snow for protection from 

 pursuit or extreme cold. The momentum of flight, 

 which carries the bird under the snow several feet hori- 

 zontally, and nearly a foot perpendicularly, is supposed 

 to be necessary for the accomplishment of this act; but 



