82 FEATHERED GAME 
sometimes seem to be confused and may only 
run a short distance, when if it thinks itself 
unobserved it will crouch in the grass and re- 
main motionless until the gunner either has 
forced it to fly or has passed on. 
The bird in its spring plumage is marked as 
follows: forehead and a stripe over the eyes 
white; upper parts generally brownish black, 
speckled with yellow and white, these lighter 
spots mostly on the tips and edges of the feath- 
ers. The tail grayish brown with black bars. 
Below, the throat and breast a brownish black, 
growing lighter toward the lower parts; axillars 
and linings of wings dusky or ashy; feet and 
legs black. Such a bird rarely falls to the New 
England gunner as this is his summer plumage. 
As we see him in the fall the under parts are 
ashy gray, faintly and irregularly splashed with 
dark brown or black; top of the head yellow 
with dusky lines; stripe over the eye grayish; 
for the rest much as in the spring plumage. 
The females are marked like the males save 
that the black breast has taken on a brownish 
hue. Have seen a few adult birds wearing 
the breeding dress into the fall and winter 
months. 
