THE DUSKY GROUSE. 127 
best way of finding the retreat of this feathered ventrilo- 
quist is to listen to his calling long enough to enable one 
to locate the spot from which it issues. This frequently 
requires time and patience, and a diligent scanning of 
the trees. Owing to his darkish hue and his habit of re- 
maining immovable on a branch, a man may search for 
along time before recognizing him, as he looks like a 
large knot at a distance. The mates readily find one 
another, however, and never, so far as my experience 
goes, fail in immediately detecting each other’s retreat. 
I have seen the female fly to the tree in which her gal- 
lant was established, as soon as he commenced piping his 
lay; yet I could not tell from what direction his calls 
came, and I’*would never have known, in all probability, 
were it not for the flight of the hen. 
This species, like the others, nests on the ground, the 
eggs being of a creamy hue, speckled with chocolate 
brown. The mother is dutiful and painstaking, and as 
good a provider of food as she can well be, but she does 
not manifest such alarm about her brood as the ruffed 
grouse, nor does she employ any of the stratagems of the 
latter in leading the enemy away from them. She takes 
very little notice of man at any time, and should he 
catch one of her chicks, she would merely walk about 
anxiously, and cluck her fears, much as a domestic hen 
does. - When the young are about three months old they 
are delicious eating, but they do not afford much sport, 
owing to their tameness, for they will allow a dog to ap- 
proach them to within a few feet before they fly away. 
Even when treed, a brood will stand firing until all are 
killed, especially if the lower ones are shot first. I have 
known fifteen of them to be bagged on a public road be- 
fore the remainder became wise enough to retreat out of 
range. Both old and young live on berries, nuts, seeds, 
insects, and grain during the summer and autumn, and on 
the buds of fir, pine, and spruce trees in winter and early 
