346 BRITISH BIRDS. 



the cock places himself on an eminence, where he 

 displays a variety of attitudes: the feathers on his 

 head stand erect, his neck swells, his tail is dis- 

 played, and his wing's trail almost on the ground, 

 his eyes sparkle, and the scarlet patch on each side 

 of his head assumes a deeper dye; at the same 

 time he utters his well-known cry, which has been 

 compared to the sound produced by the whetting 

 of a scythe; it may be heard at a considerable 

 distance, and never fails to draw to him his faithful 

 mate. The female lays from eight to sixteen eggs, 

 which are white, spotted with yellow and not so 

 large as those of the Common Hen; for this pur- 

 pose she chooses some secret spot, where she can 

 sit in security: she covers her eggs carefully over 

 with leaves, when she is under the necessity of 

 leaving them in search of food. The young follow 

 the hen as soon as they are hatched, sometimes 

 with part of the shell attached to them, and remain 

 with her till the return of spring. 



