NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Cunning of the old ones Remarkable characteristic. 



at the distance of nearly half a mile ; and sports- 

 men take advantage of this note, to discover the 

 birds, and shoot them. The Grous commonly 

 practise their thumping during the spring and fall 

 of the year; at about nine or ten o'clock in the 

 morning, and four or five in the afternoon. 



The females lay their eggs, from twelve to six- 

 teen in number, in nests which they make either 

 by the side of fallen trees, or the roots of standing 

 ones* -$dr. Brook of Maryland, in Islorth Ame- 

 rica, speaking of this bird, says ff I have found 

 their nests when a boy; and have endeavoured 

 to take the old bird, but never could succeed : she 

 would let me pat my hand almost upon her be- 

 fore she would quit her nest ; then by artifice she 

 would draw me off from her eggs, by fluttering 

 just before me for a hundred paces or more, so 

 that I have been in constant hopes of taking her 

 When the nestlings are hatched, and a few days 

 old, they hide themselves so artfully among the, 

 leaves, that it is difficult to find them." 



THE BLA9K GROUS. 



THE name of this bird almost furnishes a de-^ 

 fcription, the whole body being black, but h has 

 another remarkable characteristic, which is that 

 its tail is forked . The weight of the male is about 

 four pounds, and that of the female about two^ 

 birds were formerly to be found in great 



