I l(i THE WOOD OROt'SE OB CAPEKl AIUZJE. 
tjeck, back aiJil mlt^, aire, when miuiilcly obst'rvrd, 
tlelieately raried wiih brown, groy, aii<J black. The 
lower pan of ihe breast and iielly are black* gene- 
rally inten^persetl with a ftnv white fmtlicrs, and ih© 
Torppart of the t>rea«t h of a rirh glossy grpen, ihe 
fit^atfiers thick and compaci, hekI when seen in some 
lights* emit a very brilliant lustre of goltlen green 
anil blue, whence tlie old app«'llation of ** peacoek 
of the woods." Th« fenmh' is considenvbSy lesN, 
bearing even mora diapr^^portion in Bi2e than many 
of the others ; the coltiurs of the plumagf> disposed 
in crescent markinfis of black upon a g^ntuitd of rirb 
brou n. For the lirst autumn, the young niatea are 
nearly similar to the females, the brown tint heing 
rather deeper ; but before the ensuing ppring, they 
receive the, greater part of their adult plumage. 
The wood grouse ia extremely sby, and in Ger- 
many be is reckoned an escelient hunter who t-an 
*iay that be has kil'ed twenty or thirty males- Tern- 
■ninck mentions one pernon panic utarly ceJrhrated, 
IV ho bad &bot fifty. They ran only he ftpproachi'd 
during the time when the male calls* the liens around 
him, and even the greatest delicacy and caution of 
approacli h necessary. Tfvey are reckoned royal 
game, and the female is prohibited, undt*r a severe 
perialty» to be ^hoL* The great nuraherfi, however, 
of indisci-iminate sexes which are brought to Lon- 
don, fthew that thift prohibition in not everywhere 
attended to, and that the fl[>prnach of the males is 
• Temminck. 
