200 
TETRAO PHASIANELLUS. 
the female from a badly stuffed specimen, being*, how- 
ever, the only figure before ours ; Pennant ; Hearn e, 
who has given the most information concerning its 
habits, derived from personal observation ; and Forster, 
who has described it with accuracy. Linne at first 
adopted it from Edwards, but afterwards most unac- 
countably 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 
constituting 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 especially 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 disturbed in that position, they are apt to hide 
themselves in the snow; but Hearne informs us, that 
the hunter’s chance is not the better for that ; for so 
rapidly do they make their way beneath the surface, 
that they often suddenly take wing several 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 
