UPLAND SHOOTING. 
77 
that it generally rained in the course of that afternoon. When, 
on the contrary, the same flock would remain busily engaged in 
search of food, until sunset, I found the following morning fresh 
and clear. Indeed, I believe that this kind of foresight exists in 
the whole tribe of gallinaceous birds. 
u One day, while on the coast of Labrador, I accidentally al¬ 
most walked upon a female Canada Grouse, surrounded by her 
young brood. It was on the 18th of July. The affrighted mo¬ 
ther, on seeing us, ruffled up all her feathers, like a common hen, 
and advanced close to us, as if determined to defend her offspring. 
Her distressed condition claimed our forbearance, and we allow¬ 
ed her to remain in safety. The moment we retired, she smoothed 
down her plumage, and uttered a tender maternal cluck, when 
the little ones took to their wings, although they were, I can 
venture to assert, not more than one week old , with so much ease 
and delight} that I felt highly pleased at having allowed them to 
escape. 
“Two days afterward, my youthful and industrious party 
returned to the Ripley with a pair of these Grouse in moult. 
This species undergoes that severe trial at a much earlier season 
than the Willow Ptarmigan. My son reported that some young 
ones which he saw with their mother, were able to fly fully a 
hundred yards, and alighted on the low trees, among which he 
caught several of them, which, however, died before he reached 
the vessel. 
“ This species is found not only in the State of Maine, but 
also in the mountainous districts of New Hampshire, and the 
northern parts of New York, as well as around our Northern 
Great Lakes and the head-waters of the Missouri. It is abun¬ 
dant in the British Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, 
Newfoundland and Labrador. 
“ Among the great number, procured at all seasons of the 
year, which I have examined, I never found one without the 
rufous band at the extremity of the tail; nor did I see any hav¬ 
ing the terminal white spot on the upper tail-coverts, exhibited 
in figures of this species. 
