380 SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
The original writers that have mentioned this grouse-are 
Edwards, who first introduced it, and has figured the female 
from a badly stuffed specimen, being, however, the only figure 
before ours ; Pennant; Hearne, who has given the most infor- 
mation concerning its habits, derived from personal observation ; 
and Forster, who has described it with accuracy. Linné at first 
adopted it from Edwards, but afterwards most unaccountably 
changed his mind, and considered it as a female of the Huropean 
cock of the woods. It was restored by Latham and others to 
its proper rank in the scale of beings. 
The sharp-tailed grouse is remarkably shy, living solitary 
or by pairs during summer, and not associating in packs till 
autumn, remaining thus throughout the winter. Whilst the 
ruffed grouse is never found but in woods, and the pinnated 
grouse only in plains, the present frequents either indifferently. 
They, however, of choice, inhabit what are called the juniper 
plains, keeping among the small juniper bushes, the buds con- 
stituting their principal food. They are usually seen on the 
eround, but when disturbed, fly to the highest trees. Their 
food in summer is composed of berries, the various sorts of 
which they eagerly seek: in winter they are confined to the 
buds and tops of evergreens, or of birch and alder, but espe- 
cially poplar, of which they are very fond. They are more 
easily approached in autumn than when they inhabit large 
forests, as they then keep alighting on the tops of the tallest 
poplars, beyond the reach of an ordinary gun. When disturbed 
in that position, they are apt to hide themselves in the snow ; 
but Hearne informs us that the hunter’s chance is not the 
better for that ; for so rapidly do they make their way beneath 
the surface, that they often suddenly take wing several yards 
from the spot where they entered, and almost always in a 
different direction from that which is expected. 
Like the rest of its kind, the sharp-tailed grouse breeds on 
the ground near some bush, making a loose nest with grass, 
and lining it with feathers. Here the female lays from nine 
to thirteen eggs, which are white spotted with blackish. The 


