PINNATED GROUSE. 
383 
turkeys, seemingly with more malice than effect. This 
bumming continues from a little before daybreak to 
eight or nine o’clock in the morning, when the parties 
separate to seek for food. 
Fresh ploughed fields, in the vicinity of their resorts, 
are sure to be visited by these birds every morning, 
and frequently also in the evening. On one of these I 
counted, at one time, seventeen males ; making such a 
continued sound, as, I am persuaded, might have been 
heard for more than a mile off. The people of the 
Barrens informed me, that, when the weather became 
severe, with snow, they approach the barn and farm 
house, are sometimes seen sitting on the fences in 
dozens, mix with the poultry, and glean up the scattered 
.grains of Indian corn, seeming almost half domesticated. 
At such times, great numbers are taken in traps. No 
pains, however, or regular plan, has ever been persisted 
in, as far as I was informed, to domesticate these delicious 
birds. A Mr Reed, who lives between the Pilot Knobs 
and Bairdstown, told me, that, a few years ago, one of 
his sons found a grouse’s nest with fifteen eggs, which 
he brought home, and immediately placed below a hen 
then sitting, taking away her own. The nest of the 
grouse was on the ground, under a tussock of long grass, 
formed with very little art, and few materials ; the eggs 
were brownish white, and about the size of a pullet’s. 
In three or four days the w hole were hatched. Instead 
of following the hen, they compelled her to run after 
them, distracting her with the extent and diversity of 
their wanderings ; and it was a day or two before they 
seemed to understand her language, or consent to be 
guided by her. They were let out to the fields, where 
they paid little regard to their nurse ; and, in a few 
days, only three of them remained. These became 
extremely tame and familiar, were most expert fly- 
catchers ; but, soon after, they also disappeared. 
The pinnated grouse is nineteen inches long, twenty- 
seven inches in extent, and, when in good order, weighs 
about three pounds and a half; the neck is furnished 
with supplemental wings, each composed of eighteen 
