CANADA GROUSE, SPRUCE PARTRIDGE 131 



from another nest that was twenty feet away. She 

 worked faithfully at it for half an hour or more, but 

 did not succeed in moving the coveted egg more than 

 about eight feet, it being uphill. The egg so fre- 

 quently got away from her, and rolled back a foot or 

 more each time, that she at last got disgusted and gave 

 up the task. 



"On going to the pen one evening I found one of 

 the hens on the nest, and I knew she was beginning to 

 set, as all the others had gone to roost. Slipping my 

 hand under her, I found three eggs the nest egg, the 

 one just laid, and the one stolen from the other nest. 

 I picked two of them up and held them before her, 

 when she all at once placed her bill over the one held 

 between my thumb and fore finger and tried to pull it 

 out of my hand ; I did not let her have it, however, and 

 she immediately stepped upon the side of the nest, and 

 placing her bill over the remaining egg, drew it up out 

 of the nest and pushed it back out of sight, as much as 

 to say : 'You have two, and that is all you can have/ 

 I must confess that it was with great reluctance I 

 took these eggs from her, she pleaded so hard for 

 them. 



"The male bird begins to strut in March. I re- 

 member very well the first time I saw one strutting. 

 I had obtained the bird in the fall, and he used to sit" 

 about bunched up almost in a round ball, as the female 

 did, until one morning, when I went to feed them, 

 I found him strutting. His attitude was so different 



