486 
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
at first adopted it from Edwards, but afterwards most unaccount- 
ably changed his mind, and considered it as a female of the 
European 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 
ground, 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 dis- 
turbed in that position, they are apt to hide themselves in 
the snow ; but Hearn e informs us, that the hunter’s chance is 
not the better for that s for so rapidly do they make their way 
beneath the surface, that they often suddenly take wing seve- 
ral 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 
young are hatched about the middle of June ; they utter a pi- 
ping noise, somewhat like chickens. Attempts have been re- 
peatedly made to domesticate them, but have as constantly 
failed, all the young, though carefully nursed by their stepmo- 
ther, the common hen, dying one after another, probably for 
want of suitable food. This species has several cries : the cock 
