Toward mortiiiig—but long before dawn—a t two ov three o’clock generally, iiiiil wliile the stillness yet reigns upon tho cartli liko ft
superincumbent thing, the Cock awakes nud begins h « peculiar call. Though low iu tone, such an absolute quiot reigiS, that it is heard
distinctly even when you arc not close to the bird.
•' Before this begins, however, you must be uear the tree you noted so well tho pi-eccdiug evening. As it is still night, thcro is some
difficulty iu discovering any object; and only tho dark, nndclincd outlines of large masses like trcw can bo discovered us you peer upward,
and your vision grows accustomed to the darkness.
" But hark ! from a distance you hear n sound which, did you not know what it was, you surely would never iiiteri.ret. From a
tree-top it comes across to you through the nir, sounding something like a )>ci-soii prouounciiig ' Tut, tut,’ giitturnlly, iu the depik of liis
throat, or as if two pieces of hard wood were being knocked against eaeli other.
“ Well, tliat's a cliecriiig cireiiiustaiice; for, tliough you knew ho must be there, y
out th a t tlicre were uo possibility of npproachiug hiiii, And after rising a t midnight,
were not sure if ho would call or uot, and with-
1(1 a wiilk of some hours tlirongli the wood, and
50, when day is just breaking, to distinguish tho
are a t your ¡lOst bctin
I, and (¡nicker, and
es, the bird is uot far, and
; quickly, nud you liavc a
a cold hour’s watching before the dawui, it is vexatious to hear uotliiiig; and still luoi
dark form of the capercailc a hiiiulrcd yaixls dlstnut, ou n projecting bough.
But this morning there is no cause for regrets, or lamentation, or eomiilaint. Yoi
he has begun liis love-call; and that is all you cun desire. Ho repents it often, toi
foreboding of success; for such accelerated utterance betokoas th a t the sweet frenzy possesses liiiu, and that love aud its madness a
biiiidiiig him, even ns they blind men. The guttural ' tut, tu t,' is followed by niiothcv, uot unlike the smack xoM the tonyiie one curious
in wine will give after having tasted a sort which he finds su¡icvlativcly cxcelleut. This is rcjieatcd a few times, und then comes a
changing, now louder now lower, sound, resembling a long drawn-out ‘ whish.’ or th a t gliding sound which a scytlie makes in sweeping a t
morning through the heavy, dewy gras.«. This is the close of tho call; aud while he uttci-s it, he spreads out his tail like a fan, tlic
wings, quivering with exeitcmeiit, are extended downward, and with head outatretohc(l, and all the feathers round tho neek stauding on
end like a ruff, he pirouettes on liis qicveh, or goes sideways to and fro tho whole length of the branch. I t is during this finale that the
bird may be approached; for wliile tlio tit Is ou him, while the ecsta.sy lasts, he sees and hears nothing."
YVlien uttering this note, the liiiutcr tnkcs a few steps forward, aud then rcmaiiis motionless, waiting for a repetition of the call; and
if he times lii.s movements properly, he is enabled to approach within shot, without having his ¡iresence noticed by the bird.
Early in May, the female, having selected a place amid long grasses, or iu the thick bushes, for her ue.st, which is carcieftsly formed,
lays from eight to twelve eggs, nud after about four weeks’ hatching the young appear. Those iuiniedintely desert the ucst and fo llw
the hen, who evinces the most tender cure for them, and feeds tliem upou anks' eggs, insects, Arc.
This species is the type of the genus Tetrao, ns constituted by Litmmu«, and wliich formerly was made to include nearly all the mcmhcrs
of this family; but, as now restricted, it contains only this bird and its relative, the T. Uroyalloides.
A great difference exists iu tlic relative size of the two sexes of the 71 UroguUns, the male being nearly as large again as the female;
and her fiesli is much more preferable for food, as it is tender and juicy.
The male has tlic entire upper ¡larts blackish bromi, every feather speckled with grayish. Head aud neck similarly marked : tho
feathers of the throat which arc elongated are black. Breast black, with rich green reflections ou the upper portion. Flanks hrownish
gray speckled with blaek, and wilh a few white feathers iiitcrmiiigled. Upper tail eovertii like the back, tipped with white; under cov-
crU black, also iiiargiiied with tho same. Tail black. Bill horn-color: feathers on the legs brown, with a few bai-s of dark brown.
Feet browu.
The female has the upper parts a rich reddish brown, barred and blotched with black ; the fcathei's of the liiiul neck and ruiiqi tipped
with grayish white. Sides of neck, and throat and brc.ast, rich orange, barred with black ou the former ; rc.st of lower parts lighter
orange, each feather tipped witli white. Tail reddish brown, barred with blackish brown. Bill dull horn-color, Tarei covered with grayish
browu feathers. Toes biowii.
The average length of the male is about throe feet, and its weight eight or nine pounds. Tiie female is about two feet in length.
The plate rcprcsculs the two sexes, coiisideiably reduced in size.