11 excursion to lloliciiiiiv for the imi-po.«e of shooting Hlnck Cock, n
" But in order to be exact, the following details arc given o
well as the jcxpcricnco then gained of this aiiinml’s peculiarities :
‘■As we had far to go, wc left our inn betimes, and, tho forester preceding us with a li.iitoni, on no wont behind each other throng!,
tho cO[.i)icc and the low grounds, where formerly there was a lake, but which lately had been clraliiod, At this season the fieUl.s and
moor land were all under water, and for an hour ami a half wc went splashing through the iniiminted piniii. At night and in tho fo-
it was difficult not to mis.« the usual landmarks, and to avoid the trenches cut to curry off the Hoods. After groping about nt tho spot
where the huts ma.lc of fir boughs were erected, wc saw them a t last looming througl, tlie vapor, and each of us took his station in
th a t itssigncd him. At this jilaee, be it observed, the gi-oiiml was not under water, though shaky and very nini-sliy. To be out nt early
morning and to listen to the gradual awakening of animal life aronnd, nini to iicar how the very earth si>ema to l.o slinking off its deep
slumber, and nt last to see forms ap),earing in masses, and, grailnnlly taking wcll-knoivi, shapes, emerge from tho gloom—this is ono of
tho most infcrc.?ting incidents among tho very mnny which form the sum of a hmiter’s life,
‘‘ For a siiort time after arriving in the hut nil was still as death. Irirst was heard the low, sad cry of tho goat-snckor-earliest of
bivds-a-s he llcw tbrongh the darkness over the mnrsli ; and presently, from the skirts of the woo.l, came the bloat of the roc that Imd
been startled by a sound, or not improbably ha.l eanght tho taint of onr presence as .a breath of air began to stir the loa(ies.s bn.mbles
on the dry spots around. The cry of a scared animal thus heard amid tlic prefoimd stillness is very startling. I t makes the same
impression as of a man talking in his sleep. Prc.<ently the faint chirping of the water lurk was audible ; of the coot, mul other dwellers
in the morass. But now came a cheery sound, forctelling th a t the snn >vas «bout to appear, and that he—th a t rejoicing singer—was
going forth to meet mi.l watch him come. Straight over head rose a lark, pouring forti, his gla.ldeniiig lo n g ; and, accustomed as ,vo
- c to hear the bird when we can look np and follow- him ou his heave,iw.ud flight, it did seem strange to listen to liis wiirhliiig now,
while 1
I light as yet wa.s in the air. Then from u distant village eanie the lugubrious ‘Toot! to o t!’ of the watchman’s horn and a
clock amionnced it was past three. Again the shnip blent of a roe, but this time from n meadow in the dircetloii of the hamlet
There is now on all side.s an awakening ; there is a hum in the water, and in the air, and in the woods, nt liret low and indi.stinc't and
tremulous, but grailually growing in volume, and becoming stable and dcfmite. Now a snipe calls, mul now a covey of partridges' in
fluttering flight whir by. There is a sonn.l of watei-s eveiywhcre oozing, yet rather felt than heard, it is so low and stealthy—not
sc|,arate, but mixing ivith, ami part of, the murmur of nature around. The blackness is changed into a confuse,I g r a y l.nt ha'rk ' tliere
Is a fluttering ami a rush ,.f wings, which fells most surely that a cock ha.« come to the trysting place. And now- anollier rushing of
pinions, and the same low ‘ (.'luck! cinek!’ as before. You look through the braiiches of your hut in the <!ireefio„ wheiioe the sound
proceeds, and peer Into the gloaming. But it is not yet pos.sil.lc to distingnisli anything. However, you hear the rush nnd the flutter
of new comcre; yon hear, too, the half-eooiiig, half-clncking foue.s they utter, rising and falling by'turns, as thev give cxpres.«ion to
their iiassioiiate longing. Then follows a sndden ami rapid beating of wings, und quick and shnri. an g .r elm-kings'; for the jonst Iv.s
alrcmly bogmi, and they are fighting wrathfully, IIow yon long to see what is going on. mul to l.elioW tl.o inanmmre« which vou well
knoiv tlmt flntterhig hot.,kens! And now they are eineking <i«ite near, ami there is a violent beating of wings as thev l.onnd’ npwar.l
m their strife a few feet from the ground. I f the Imzc would but ilisperee tlmt you might get a shot! YVhoi, smhle'nly from one of
the huts, where yonr eomradc is stationed, comes the report of a gn„, which tells von that vomler is les.s mist than here or tlmt the
birds being nearer enabled him to lire. Rut now yon too are able to see something, ami about one hnmlred ami fiftv var.ls off tl'.ere is
a blaek cock in the grass. To tho right is another, and now from behind a hillock n tl.ir.l einergos, YVhat can flmy be about ^ YVith
outstretched neek they move eree|>i„gly omvard, with a sort of wonld-he gravity, and then stand .still in the same j.osition as before
looking as ridicn!on,s as ¡.ossilflo. But presently they begin dancing np in the air, and turning round like a tnrkev cock the tail featlicre
erect and outspread. Up they jump «gain a foot or two, clucking ami gobbling the while ; and then thev will’ smidenlv resume thoir
ire, and. poking out their neek to its fnliest stretch, move mineingly forw ard, and with affeeted g.ait. But thev'approach each
iw, ami a fight ensues, ami the weaker is driven away. They arc still pretty far, hnt a rifle bullet may hit one still Yonr
old po!
other 1
sights are fine-i.oeessarily finc-aml it is not day y et; however, you try, am! the sharp crack of the explosion rings through the i.cigh-
boniig wood. By Jo v e !, there is the very fellow at which-yon aime.l exactly where he was; he is looking np. it is t
surprised, hut a moment more and lie is a t his old tricks again, ereei.iiig along ns sillily as before,
man’ in Catlin’s ‘Indians,' who is playing jnst such antics .as our blaek cock here, whom we have <
calls in a somewhat coaxing tone, and the three mites of which Ids invitation consist.« ar
shot from your comrade's gun, but it does not liistnrb tlicm. They go on dancing in a
now turning on the opjiosite side of your hnt, yon look what is t
lie, somcwliat
you of the ‘ medicino
s jonriicy to sec. Ho
tive of impatience mid longing. Another
s before. I t is a laughable siglit. And
1 there, anil behold ! another ■ medieine man ' is having his
-........ floreire ,„„1 |, | „ ,,„i
II,. M„1 ,l„re„ „ If . ,1,„, |„ „| I,..... ,,I , I ,
f t , . . , «V., .1. to . I„. „ . f ,„i„, ........
me ,1, « l.k .; .„ a l l „ r ,„„y 1,... b . „¡II,ii, b«t l.o„ tl.oy ,|„ ,, „ „ | g„ . J ' [„ „ ¡,|, „ „ . j , ,
. . ,„ l l „ s .1 ... I . II,. g „ „ „ i 0„o fl¡„ t|,„ l . „ „ b ,,,„ to „ btoh, .. . I .h „ ,k l., ¡„„„„Ilv .1 11,0
bl. „.blilg. r |.« „ .lly 1„. l,k o , „ing, .„„I y„„ „.1,1, b|,„ ,„„k1„g f t , 11,0 b . l , . || y„,„.,,|f „ ¡|| b . 11,Or. .g ,|„
..,1 II,ore I, ¡ . |„,y. y„, ^
.bollo, .0,1 yo,„ bo,,,,,.1,0,1 ll„,b,; Ibo.gl, ,ho,o I. . l„ o -b „ .„ ' „ .Ik boft,,. gol,log boi.O, „ „I I..1Í „f „
„»1er, still tlicre IS a „asm b,o..kf„.t , . ¡.eia,,col,vo. and tbat Is .at „II t ¡ .,,.
"F r e i. 11,0 „Ibo, Im, oomo. ,.y o„„„.,lo, a,..l „ b .l bo Tliore s,a Ib.o o.ok, tho ,o ..l. o f .......... „„,.k l . , |
Imw ,b,l ,10 « , „ . . 0 ,1? Will, 11,0 « 001,1,0. of 0.0 bl,d, ,11 , . . . o d o « lo „höre l,o „.as, „ml ihoy imi.lo 1,1. I.sk „i, o.asy o „ . To-mm-
foiv tlicy miglit f.ll more , . tlio otbor dlioCoii, . 11,1 tl,„ . Umi „ o .|,| „ ¡ ..„ .o o ,„ s|„„t.
" I t U , ol,..oo „botbo, tl.0 l,l„l. oomo I . tb , ¡.„„ „„ ato .o lgl,to,l,oo,l of ;a „ „ solreal, « , doso oao.igh 1b, . ,|,o t 11.,
„ b a t doos 1,0t l„,|.,.o,i 0.0 .m„i,„g may tl.o „oat. A.,1 „ ,,, „ . ,d , , .g ..... oi|,cct.,icy l.avo r charm. Nor while yon a
LYRURUS TETRIX.
,™l .,0 „¡.l,m„ Tbo „ ,.0 d o ,, „0, , 0. . . , . . g „ Id k O b ,„ .In . „ ,d , |,.b,b, ,,,..„o„.. „ . t,,. „ u
Tbo f tm a . . ^ , , . . ,1,0 , . o .mm.nl, k„o„„, tb . „ . „ _ d . o . , „ 1 , ^
chicks make their np))caraiice iii three weeks’ time, and leave the nest K ' .....................................................
them under her iviiig« wherever night overtakes them. She roosts iipc
0 follow thoir mother, who leads them to new fields, and gathers
"l’°" Si'ouiid, and docs not perch until the young arc sufficientlv
strong to acconipuny her. During the ,.ori„d of incubation the male re.nai.is in the neighborhood, keeping vigilant watch over bis fa.nilv
o o..,do,.,.l, . . . bom, am, i„o ,,.„ ..1 ,1 , . . . I , „ t,,.. a .
I b.vo md.dod a , a i|,l, ,p ,d o , the Toltao Do,l,la.
...I f t.tb o „ sbgbtly d „ .g .to d . - This obasaoft, , b.vo d , o „ . d „
to eoiistitute a separate species.
s, coming from various localitie.«, and is hardly sufficient
The adult male is black, with the head, neck, and back glossed with deep steel-blue refl.
white crosses the secondaries, which are also tipped with the same. Primaries brown, out
haimig shafts of a brownish white. Tail black, much forked, with the four lateral feathers
Under tail coverts wl.ite, some in tl.e centre ),rejecting beyond the
ish brown, mottled with black. Feet brown.
Wings brown; a conspicuous band of
mottled with yellowish brown, and
r side elongated and curved outward.
Flanks and breast brownish black, Bill black. The legs yellow-
ffiipercilbry membrane blood rod.
P.m.,0 I ,» boad and „ „.k , , „ „ d . „ h b , . , . l , k black; I .„ o , back a .d „11 oovort. . do.,,o, ,.d , .¡.Ik v ly
“ tb d"Tl . r t “ 'I » « '”> ' ‘ “ ft AM"««, « otblock
r . . , b „ „ „ , .d ,,,.1, . .g „ ,a , „ h „ . Prfmario. d .,k b , . . . , . . tb .l, . . t o , „ .b . „ ¡„ . reddl.b ; .o c d .H o ,
to , ho , odgo. mo,o breadl, „ . „ l . d a .d tbol, „ h i,.. T.l, ft.kod . . d black, Ire .g .I.rt, ,.„ k o d „¡0, red. ll,.,od , l l b ,1.1,.
ho ad o rt . . ,h . o o .„ .l f..l|,o „ . l . d o , oovort. „U ft, „ ,,b .y b „ „ , „ „ g
tars, are covered with grayish white feathers mottled with brownish. Feet brown. Bill black.
■I 51