CANADA GROUSE, SPRUCE PARTRIDGE = 131 
from another nest that was twenty feet away. She 
worked faithfully at it for half an hour or more, but 
did not succeed in moving the coveted egg more than 
about eight feet, it being uphill. The egg so fre- 
quently got away from her, and rolled back a foot or 
more each time, that she at last got disgusted and gave 
up the task. 
“On going to the pen one evening I found one of 
the hens on the nest, and I knew she was beginning to 
set, as all the others had gone to roost. Slipping my 
hand under her, I found three eggs—the nest egg, the 
one just laid, and the one stolen from the other nest. 
I picked two of them up and held them before her, 
when she all at once placed her bill over the one held 
between my thumb and fore finger and tried to pull it 
out of my hand; I did not let her have it, however, and 
she immediately stepped upon the side of the nest, and 
placing her bill over the remaining egg, drew it up out 
of the nest and pushed it back out of sight, as much as 
to say: ‘You have two, and that is all you can have.’ 
I must confess that it was with great reluctance I 
took these eggs from her, she pleaded so hard for 
them. 
“The male bird begins to strut in March. I re- 
member very well the first time I saw one strutting. 
I had obtained the bird in the fall, and he used to sit 
about bunched up almost in a round ball, as the female 
did, until one morning, when I went to feed them, 
I found him strutting. His attitude was so different 
