HUFFED GROUSE. 
317 
The pheasant begins to pair in April, and builds its 
nest early in May. This is placed on the ground, at the 
root of a bush, old log, or other sheltered and solitary 
situation, well surrounded with withered leaves. Un- 
like that of the quail, it is open above, and is usually 
composed of dry leaves and grass. The eggs are from 
nine to fifteen in number, of a brownish white, with- 
out any spots, and nearly as large as those of a pullet. 
The young leave the nest as soon as hatched, and are 
directed by the cluck of the mother, very much in the 
manner of the common hen. On being surprised, she 
exhibits all the distress and affectionate manoeuvres 
of the quail, and of most other birds, to lead you away 
from the spot. 1 once started a hen pheasant with a 
single young one, seemingly only a few days old ; there 
might have been more, but I observed only this one. 
The mother fluttered before me for a moment ; but, 
suddenly darting towards the young one, seized it in 
her bill, and flew off along the surface through the 
woods, with great steadiness and rapidity, till she was 
beyond my sight, leaving me in great surprise at the 
incident. I made a very close and active search around 
the spot for the rest, but without success. Here was 
a striking instance of something more than what is 
termed blind instinct, in this remarkable deviation from 
her usual manoeuvres when she has a numerous brood. 
It would have been impossible for me to have injured 
this affectionate mother, who had exhibited such an 
example of presence of mind, reason, and sound judg- 
ment, as must have convinced the most bigoted advo- 
cates of mere instinct. To carry off a whole brood in 
this manner at once would have been impossible, and 
to attempt to save one at the expense of the rest would 
be unnatural. She therefore usually takes the only 
possible mode of saving them in that case, by decoying 
the person in pursuit of herself, by such a natural imi- 
tation of lameness as to impose on most people. But 
here, in the case of a single solitary young one, she 
instantly altered her plan, and adopted the most simple 
and effectual means for its preservation. 
