34 THE GROUS. 



This wonderful contrivance is singularly well adapt 

 ed to a bird, like the Grous, which, by its habits, is 

 confined within narrow limits, so that the sportsman 

 can know pretty nearly where it is to be found. 



We cannot but admire the benevolence of the 

 Creator in thus forming a poor bird with such singular 

 and wonderful means of escaping from its enemies. 



The males of these curious birds have a practice of 

 assembling together, for the purpose of holding what 

 may be very properly called a strutting match. 



The spot which they select for these struttings must 

 be clear of bushes, and is generally a small open place, 

 as much retired from the observation of the world as 

 possible. Towards the dawn of day, the company 

 begin to assemble, and sometimes the party consists 

 of forty or fifty members. When it begins to grow 

 light, one or two of them begin to make the peculiar 

 noise already described, when those who are absent 

 appear, one after another, from the surrounding bush- 

 es. The ceremony then begins, and each member 

 struts according to the best of his ability ; every one 

 trying to outdo the others in affected pomp and state- 

 liness. Sometimes, as two pass each other, they 

 exchange looks of insult and defiance, probably be- 

 cause the one sees that the other looks as well as him- 

 self. These looks often lead to desperate battles, in 

 which both parties engage with great spirit and fierce- 

 ness, and sometimes they continue to fight until the 

 rising of the sun, which is always the signal for the 

 party to break up, each one then going his own way. 



The places where these birds hold such exhibitions 

 are sometimes discovered by the marks of their feet in 



