30.4 R U F F E D G R O U S. 



*' it may be diftinaiy heard a mile in a calm day : they fwell their 

 " breaftslike the Powting Pigeon, and beat with their wings, which 

 " make a noife not unlike a drum in found; but the Pheafant fhor- 

 " tens each founding note, till they run one into another undiftin- 

 " guifliably, like ftriking two empty bottles together." 



La Hontan. In order to perfeft, as far as I am able, the hiftory of this bird, I 



fhall give a quotation from Baron La Hontan's Voyages to North 

 America, publifhed in EngUJJo, (vol. i. p. 67.) where he fpeaks of 

 a bird found near the lakes of Canada, which, I think, can be no 

 other than the above-defcribed, though the names given them 

 difagree. 



La Hontan fays, " I went in company with fome Canadefe on 

 *' purpofe to fee that fowl flap with its wings : believe me, this fight 

 *' is one of the greatefl curiofities in the world j for their flapping 

 " makes a noife much like a drum, for about the fpace of a rhinute j 

 " then the noife ceafes for half a quarter of an hour ; after which 

 " it begins again. By this noife we were direfted to the place where 

 " the unfortunate More-hen fat, and found them upon rotten mofly 

 " trees. By flapping one wing againft the other they mean to call 

 " their mates j and the humming noife that enfues thereupon may 

 " be heard half a quarter of a league. This they do in the months 

 *^ of April, May, September, and October ; and, which is very re- 

 " markable, the More-hen never flaps in this manner but upon 

 " one tree. It begins at break of day, and gives over at nine 

 " o'clock in the morning, till about an hour before fun-fet, then 

 " it flutters again, and continues fo to do till night." 



Mr.iGftAHAM; To thefe accounts I beg leave to add the following, out of the 

 Philofophical 'Tranfa5lions ; which informs us, that this fpecies of Grous 

 bears the Indian name of Pujkee, or Pufpujkee, at Hud/on' s Bay, on 

 account of the leannefs and drynefs of their flefh, which is extreme- 

 ly white, and of a very clofe texture; but when well prepared^ is 

 excellent eating. They are pretty common at Moofe Fort .and Henly 

 Houfe ; but are feldom feen at Albany Fort, or to the northward 

 of the above places. In winter they feed upon juniper-tops, in fummer 

 en goofeberries, rafpberrieSj currants, cranberries, ^c. They are no£ 

 5 migratory j, 



