FOWLS. 297 



(from a boat in a lake or wide river), they always make for 

 the nearest land first; then, circling round, widening their 

 circle and rising higher at the same time, they keep the 

 starting-point in view until they sight some familiar object, in 

 which direction they travel. If a bird is dull, or 'stupid,' as 

 we term it, and has been tried from various points of the 

 compass, it often happens that, when taken to a distance 

 (say thirty or forty miles), the time occupied in reaching the 

 loft is- three of four times longer than was expected; but, 

 take it there next day, and the journey will be done quicker 

 than a mile a minute. Why is that? Well, the birds get 

 confused; some object which it may have seen on a former 

 journey, may possibly stand out boldly; and, flying at once 

 toward this, the bird may find itself just as far from finding 

 the 'lay of the land.' Thus it may go from one familiar 

 point to another before 'striking' for home. That is the 

 reason why, in training a bird for a match, we take it only 

 in the direction from which it will have to fly, increase the 

 distance gradually, until the bird is familiar with the path 

 it must travel and recognises each landmark as soon as it 

 comes in sight." 



ORDER V. 1° t^s order {Gallina) the Grouse, the Ptar- 

 Fowls. migan, the Quail, the Peacock, the Pheasant, the 

 Jungle Fowl, the Guinea Fowl, and the Wild Turkey are 

 included; as well as our DomesticFowls to the forms of which 

 they more or less closely approximate. The Black Grouse, 

 and the Red Grouse are found throughout Great Britain ; the 

 Prairie Grouse in North America. The Ptarmigan is found in 

 Scotland and in the North of the continent of Europe; it 

 changes colour vidth the seasons, becoming snow-white in winter. 

 The Quail is found in many parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa ; it 

 visits England in the early summer and leaves about October 

 for Africa, where it winters. 



The The Peacock has been famous in the East from 



Peacock, before the days of Solomon and the Queen of 



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