THE GROUS, 35 



the dirt, and the feathers left on the ground, and this 

 is a sad discovery for the poor Grous, as it generally 

 ends in the death of some of the party. 



The sportsman who finds such a place, goes in the 

 day time and builds for himself a hiding place of bush- 

 es near the spot, and on the next morning takes care 

 to be in it, before the dawn of day. The poor Grous, 

 not suspecting any mischief, go to the place and be- 

 gin their sports as usual, when the gunner shoots 

 among them and destroys as many as he can. 



Among sportsmen, whether they go out for profit, 

 or amusement, and also among the lovers of delicate 

 morsels, there is no bird more sought after, or more 

 famous than the Grous. On this account, they have 

 of late years become exceedingly rare, so that in the 

 city of New York, a pair not uncommonly sells for 

 five dollars. 



The female Grous makes her nest on the ground, 

 but is so sly about the place, that it is rarely discover- 

 ed. She leads her brood out in search of provisions, 

 like the common hen, and, like her, takes care of the 

 family without any assistance from the male. 



These birds cannot be tamed, for on hatching their 

 eggs under a hen, it is found that the young ones make 

 their escape into the woods as soon as they can fly.* 



* See Wilson's Ornithology. 



