
OF BIRDS. 49 
feed too on blackberries, beech maft, and ants’ 
eggs. 
The female is lefs than the male, and her. 
plumage not fo dark, yet the colours are more 
varied, and not lefS beautiful. 
The breeding feafon begins about the Lite 
end of March: then the cock is generally feen 
on fome large pine tree, with his tail raifed and 
fpread im a circle, like a Turkey cock’s; his 
wings trailing, his neck ftretched forward, and 
the feathers of the head briftled; he makes a 
loud, and very fingular noife, by which he calls 
the hens; they immediately anfwer, and come to 
the tree where he is perched. At other times the 
Wood Grous is fo fhy that it is almoft impoflible 
to come near him. Then he is fo little on his 
guard, that he may eafily be fhot., “‘The»females 
lay, as fome fay, from five to nine, but accord- 
ing to others from eight to fixteeneggs; they are 
larger than a Hen’s, and white, {potted with yel- 
low. Thefe eggs are placed on mofs, in a dry 
place. ‘Lhe female fits. and is never relieved 
by the male, -when fhe leaves her neft for 
food, fhe carefully covers the eggs with leaves. 
The little ones run about as foon as they are 
hatched, and fometimes indeed with the fhells on 
their backs; the mother leads them with great 
“| 
PART Y. L care 

