THE HAZEL GROUSE. 
757 
twelve or fifteen, eggs: these are small, smooth and 
shining, of a reddish brown yellow, spotted and stippled 
with red and dark brown; they are carefully incubated 
for fully three weeks, and are covered over whenever she 
leaves the nest, with the same materials as the latter is 
composed of. The newly-hatched young are only so long 
brooded as is necessary to dry them, and w r hen this is 
accomplished the mother immediately leads them off into 
the grass and low scrub, where they may be hidden from 
the eye of any curious intruder. Should an enemy appear 
on the scene, the mother acts like the Partridge, feigning 
lameness, until the young are out of harm’s way : with a 
low, piping call she keeps the little family together, and 
teaches them to find their food. In bad weather the 
chicks are gathered under the maternal wing. The young 
ones soon learn to fly, or at least flutter, and take care of 
themselves, w T hen the whole family betakes itself to the 
top of a tree to roost. At first, the young feed exclusively 
on insects; later on, they eat buds, catkins, juniper 
berries, wild strawberries, bilberries, wild raspberries, 
currants, blackberries, &c. They scrape the ground more 
than other Wood Grouse do, in this respect more resembling 
the Pheasants. As soon as the young birds have attained 
a certain size the male returns to his family, when all 
remain happily united till next breeding season. 
The flesh of the Hazel Grouse is looked upon as the 
most delicate of all winged game, and it is probably on 
this account that this lovely creature has so many 
enemies. Goshawks, Falcons, Buzzards, Ravens, Crows, 
Jays, foxes, lynxes, wild cats, martens, and weasels, all 
harry the bird unremittingly, and man persecutes it fully 
as much as they do. The Hazel Grouse is shot from a 
hiding place, by imitating its call-note, as also by lying in 
