11 excursion to Bolieiiiia for the purpose “ But in order to be exact, tlic folloiving details arc g of shooting Black Cock, a
well as llic /ixperiencc then gained of tliis animal’s pcculiai
"As ivc had far to go, wc left our inn betimes, and, the forester preceding ns with a lantern, on wc went behind each otlier tlirongli
tho copincc ami the low grounds, where formerly there was a lake, but n-hicli lately bad been drained. At this season the fields and
moor land ivcro all under water, and for an hour and a half ivo went splashing through tlio immdated plain. At night and in the fog
it iva.s dilTicult not to miss tlic usual landmarks, and to avoid tlie ticncUos cut to carry off the floods. Alter groping about a t the spot
wliero the lints made of iir bonglis ircrc erected, we saw tlicm a t last looming through the vapor, and each of ns took liis station in
that as.sigiicd him. At this |>lacc, bo it observed, tlic gi-ound was not under water, though shaky aud very marshy. To be out a t early
morning and to ¡¡»ten to the gradual awakening of animal life ni-ound, nnd to iiear how tho very earth scorns to be sliaking off its deep
slumber, and at hist to sec forms apiiearing in masses, and, gradually taking well-known shapes, emerge from the gloom—this is one of
tho most interesting incidents among the I'ory many ivliich form the sum of a hunter’s life.
" For a short time after arriving in the liut all wa.s still as death. First was licard tho low, sad cry of the goat-suckcr—earliest of
birds—as lie llcw tbrongli the darkness over the marsh; aud presently, from the skirts of tho wood, came tlie bloat of the roc that iuid
been stnvtlod by a sound, or not improbably hud caught the taint of our presence as a breath of air began to stir tho leafless brambles
on tho dry spots around. The cry of a scared animal thus iioard amid the profound stillness is very startling. I t makes the same
imprci.sioii as of a man talking in his sloop. Presently the faint chirping of the water lark was audible ; of tho coot, and other dwcil-
ois in the morass. But now came a cheery sound, foretelling th a t the sun was about to appear, and timt h o - th a t rejoicing singer—was
going forth to meet am! ivatch him come. Straight over head rose a lark, pouring forth his gladdening Tong; and, accustomed as we
arc to hcai- tliu bird when ire can look up and follow him on his heavemvard flight, it diil seem strange to listen to his warbling now,
while no light as yet was in the air. Then from a distant village came the lugubrious ‘ Toot! to o t!’ of the watchman’s horn,°and a
clock amioimccil it iras past throe. Again the sharp bleat of a roe, but this time from a meadow in tho direction of tho Immlet.
'riiere is now on all sides an awakening; there is a hum in the water, and in the air, and in the ivoods, a t first low and indistinct and
ti-cmulous, but gradually growing in volume, aud becoming stable and definite. Now a snipe calls, and now a covey of partridges in
fluttering flight whir by. Tbcro is a sound of watom everywhere oozing, yet rather fcit tliaii hoard, it is so low and, .stenltliy—not
seiiaratc, but mixing with, and part of, the mnv.nnr of nature aronnd. Tlie blackness is clianged into a confused g ray; but liark ! tlierc
is a fluttering and a ru.sli of wings, which tells most surely that a cock has como to the ti-ysting place. And now another rnsliing of
pinions, nnd tlie same low ‘ CluckI cluck!’ as before. You look through tho brandies of your hut in the tlirectioa whence Oio sound
in-occod.s, and peer into the gloaming. But it is not yet |,os.rible to distingnisl. anything. However, you hoar tlic rush mul tlio fluttei-
of new comers; you hoar, too, the lialf-cooing, half-clncking tones tliey utter, rising and falling by turns, as they gii'o expression to
tlicir passionate longing. Then follows a snddcii and raj.id beating of wings, and quick and .shar,) angiy clneklngs; 'fo r the joust has
already begun, and they arc fighting «latlifnliy. llow yon long to see what is going oi^ and to behold the manmuvres which von well
know tliat fluttering bctoken.s! And noiv they arc ducking quite near, and there is a violent beating of «ings as they bound' upward
in their strife a few feet from the grouml I f the haze would but disperse that you might get a siiot! M'lieti suddenly from one of
the huts, ivhcvc your comrade is stationed, comes the report of a gun, which telis you th a t yonder is less mist than here, or tliat the
birds being nearer enabled him to firo. But now you too arc able to see sonictliing, and about one l.nndred and fifty vnvds off tlicre is
a black cock in tlic grass. To the right is another, and now from behind a hillock a tliivd cincrircs. AVIiat can they bo about ’ AVitli
outstretched ncdc they move cveepingly onward, with a sort of wonld-bc gravity, ami tl.cn stand still in the same po.sition as before
looking as ridiculous ns pos-siblc. But presci.tly they begin dancing up in the air, and tnrning round like a turkey cock, tlic tail leatlic.s
erect and ont.sprcad. Up tlicy jump again a foot or two, ducking and gobbling the wl.ilc ; and then they will suddenly resume their
old po.<ture, and, poking out their neck to its fullest stretch, move mineingly fonvard, and ivith affoctcil gait. But they approach cadi
other no«-, ami a fight ensues, ami the «-eakcv is driven aivay. They arc still pretty far, bat a rifle bullet may hit one still. Your
sights arc lino-nccessiii-ily riiic-and it is not day y et; however, you try, and the sharp crack of the explosion rings through the iicidi-
boi-ing wood. By Jove ! there is the very fellow at which ‘you aimed c.vactly wlicrc he was : he is looking up, it i.s t.mo somewhat
surprised, but a moment more and lie is a t his old tricks again, creeping along as sillily a.s before. I t reminds 'you of the’ ‘ medicine
man’ in Catliu’s ‘ Indians,’ who is playing just such antics as our black cock here, wliom^ive have come a day’s journey to sec. lie
calls in a somewhat coaxing tone, and the tlivcc notes of which his invitation consists ai-c indicative of impatience and lomdii.z Vnothcr
sliot from yoiu- comrade’s gun, but it does not disturb them. They go on dancing in a ring as before. I t i, a laughable sii'ht And
now tuvuing on the opposite side of your hut, you look what is to be seen there, and behold! another ‘modiciiic man’ is having his
dance. Does the distance, ns viewed through your peep-hole, dcceii-o you, and is he not within range of your gun ? It iva.s too fai- foi-
thc bird runs a dozen yards as if a sl.ot or t«-o bad touched him, and then stalks and jum,,s and pironcttcs as bolbvo. Ami* yonder’ are
tlii-ce, fonr, five, six more, but far off am! beyond reacli of mine or my oomra<ie’s gun. Now they come hopping along like l.oj-s ¡unip-
ing m sacks; and they may at last bo witliin range; but now they stop and go off in another direction, witli tlicir necks m-ule as lon-
as possible, poking close to the gi-ound. One flics to the lower branches of a young birch, and chnckles inwiu-dly a t the recollection o'!'
Ins woomg. Presently he takes wing, and yon watch him making for tlic forest; but yon tell yon,-self he will be there a-min to-mor-
roiv, and there is satisfaction in that certainty. One after the other flies aw-ay, for it Is day now, nnd you are glad to cmerg'c f,-om yom-
slicltcr and move yoiiv bcnnnibod limbs; and though tlicro is a tivo-hours' ivalk bcfoi-o getting li
•ml lialf of it wading througli
water, still thcvc is a «arm breakfast in perspective, ami that is a t all times ehcci-iiig.
"From the other hut comes my comrade; and what has he shot? Tliorc lie six fine cocks a.s the result of his
ling’s work. And
how did ho mnuage it? AYith the exception of one bird, all came close to whore he «as, and they made his task an easy one. To-mor-
row they might fall more in tlie other direction, and then that wonld equalize our sport.
" I t is alii-aj-s a chance whctlier the birds come in tho immediate ncigl.borhood of you.- retreat, or clo.se enough for a shot. lint
wliat docs not^hiippcn one morning may tl.o next. And this ivatchmg and expoctauey have their charm. Nor while yon arc «-aiting
and hoping arc yon «-ithout ainnscmeiit. Tlie time docs not seem long while observing their habits and drollery. On the snow such
ilaiieiiig iviul trampling leave sufficient marks; aiul tlie spot where the birds have met is like the ring of a circus after an equestrian pcr-
formanco.
being taken to leave some of the old
And next year, in March, they arc there <
ill of coui-se bo iindcretood, it is the cocks only whicli are sliot. And of those but a cei-taiii number; care always
behind, to lead the young generation iu tlic following season to tlie accnstomcil trysting place,
u the very same spot as before.”
own, the Gray Ilcii—does not make much of a nest, and lays from eight to twelve eggs. Tlic
’i'lio female— or, as she is commonly k
chicks make tlich- appearance in three weeks’ time, and leave the nest to follow their mother, who leads them to new fields, ami gathei-s
them nmici- her wings wliercvcr niglit overtakes them. She roosts upon the ground, and docs not pei-ch until the young arc sufficiently
strong to accompany her. During the poi-iod of incubation tho imiie remains in the iiclgliborliood, keeping \-igilant watch over liis family,
and shows considerable skill in decoying any inti-ndei- from the vicinity of the brood, Taite in the fall the males associate together in
considerable miinbcrs, and live ¡jcaccably with each other until the spring, when they again separate to seek tho hens.
I have included as a synonym of this species the Tctrao Dorbianns of Gould, wbich appears to be only an old Black Cock, with tho
tail featlicrs slightly elongated. This ciiaractcv I liave observed in several c.xample.s, coming fi-om various localities, and h liardly sufficient
to constitute a separate species.
The adult mule is black, witli tlic head, neck, and back glossed «-itii deep steel-blue reflections. AVings brown; a conspicuous band of
white crosses the secondaries, «liich arc also tipped ivitli tlic same. Friuiarics brown, outer edges mottled with yeliowisli brown, and
having shafts of a bi-owuisli white. Tail black, miicli forked, w-itb tlic four lateral featlicrs on either side elongated and cui-vcd outward.
Under tail coverts white, some iu the centre projecting beyond the tail. Flanks and breast brownish black. Bill black, The legs yellowish
brown, mottled with black. Feet brown. Superciliary membrane blood red.
Female has lieiul aud nook rufous, barred ivith browiiisl. black ; loivcr part of back and upper tail coverts of a deeper red, similarly
barred. Upper part of bi-east light red, crossed with curved bars of blnck, and each fcatlier broadly ti[)pecl ivitli white. Abdomen mottled
with dark brown. Flanks same color as the back, and similarly biirred. The wings arc reddisli brown, mottled and bai-rcd «ith
black, foathcvs tipped with an angular white spot. Primaries dark broivn, mottled on their outer webs ivitli reddish; secondaries similar,
but tbcir edges more broadly mottled and tbcir tips ivbite. Tail forked and black, ivrcguliii-Iy miivkcd ivitli red, tipped ivith wbitc,
broadest on the central fcatiici-s. Under coverts white, sometimes with patches of brown or light red in the cciiti-c toivai-d the end. The
tarsi arc covered with grayish white feathers mottled with broiviiisli. Feet brown. Bill black.