SHOULDER-KNOT HEATHCOCK. 



303 



America : its manners greatly resemble those of 

 the Black Grous : the male placing himself upon 

 some elevated stump, when he commences his 

 peculiar noise called thumping, by flapping his 

 wings against his sides : he begins the strokes 

 gradually, at about two seconds of time from each 

 other, and repeats them quicker and quicker, until 

 they make a noise not unlike distant thunder. This 

 continues from the beginning about a minute ; the 

 bird ceases for six or eight minutes, and then be- 

 gins again. During this ecstacy he is blind to the 

 approach of the sportsman, who may take his aim 

 at leisure, being directed by the bird to the noise, 

 which may be heard at the distance of nearly half 

 a mile. He commonly practises this thumping 

 during the spring and fall of the year, and will do 

 the same even if confined in a house : during the 

 operation the crests on his head and sides of the 

 neck are elevated, and the tail is expanded to its 

 utmost. The female lays from twelve to sixteen 

 eggs, on the ground, in a nest placed near the stump 

 of a tree, amongst dry leaves : the young follow 

 the mother like chickens, and the whole brood 

 keep together till the spring: they feed on all 

 sorts of grain and fruit, and are said to be par- 

 ticularly fond of ivy-berries : their flesh is very 

 good. They are called Drumming Partridges in 

 some parts of North America 5 and at Hudson's 

 Bay pushee or impushee. 



