PINNATED GROUSE 22$ 



wings. In twelve or fifteen encounters, only three or 

 four times did they strike thus, and only once did we 

 see 'feathers fly.' Most of the energy seems to be 

 spent in posturing and blowing. Generally, one of the 

 combatants backs slowly away, suddenly stopping if 

 the opponent advances too rapidly. In all these fight- 

 ing tactics the similarity of habits with those of the 

 domestic fowl were very marked. From all directions 

 came the peculiar toot, like distant tugboats in a fog, 

 all having whistles of the same pitch. This call may 

 be well imitated by blowing gently into the neck of a 

 two-drachm homeopathic vial. Each call extends over 

 a period of two seconds, and is repeated at frequent 

 intervals. It is prefaced by a run of about one yard, 

 with very rapid, mincing steps. The strides, however, 

 are so short that the bird does not advance rapidly. 

 The tail is spread and the wings dropped after the 

 manner of the strutting turkey-cock. When the tail 

 is spread, the white under-tail coverts are conspicuous 

 and remind one forcibly of the 'white flag' of the deer 

 and antelope, or of our gray rabbit. The head is then 

 depressed and the neck outstretched forward, until it 

 is parallel with the surface of the ground; the neck 

 tufts are elevated to a V shape. The bright, orange- 

 colored air-sacs on each side of the neck, directly be- 

 hind the tufts of feathers, are slowly inflated until 

 they reach apparently the size of a tennis ball, when 

 they appear like two small ripe oranges, one protruding 

 from either side of the neck. The duration of the call 

 appears to closely coincide with the period of infla- 



