. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . lay 8 to 14 eggs of a deep fawn color, irregularlysplashed with different tints of brown. They are readily ap-proached, and sometimes are said to be so unsuspicious as,like the Ptarmigan, to allow of being knocked down with astick ; and round Hudson Bay are commonly caught by theaborigines in a simple noose fastened to a stake. When muchdisturbed, however, they betake themselves to trees, wherethey are readily approached and shot down. In the month of May, where they breed, in the State ofMaine, the male struts before his mate
. A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada . lay 8 to 14 eggs of a deep fawn color, irregularlysplashed with different tints of brown. They are readily ap-proached, and sometimes are said to be so unsuspicious as,like the Ptarmigan, to allow of being knocked down with astick ; and round Hudson Bay are commonly caught by theaborigines in a simple noose fastened to a stake. When muchdisturbed, however, they betake themselves to trees, wherethey are readily approached and shot down. In the month of May, where they breed, in the State ofMaine, the male struts before his mate, and beating his wingsbriskly against his body, produces a drumming noise, clearerthan that of the Ruffed Grouse, which can be heard to a con-siderable distance. The males leave their mates as soon asincubation has commenced, and do not join them again untillate in autumn. The Spruce Partridge, as the bird is called by the gunnersdown East, is a fairly common resident of the timber districtsin northern New England and the Provinces ; it occurs also in the 1 . Piping Plover. 3 Golden Plover. 5. Gajiada Grouse. 2 . Semi-PalmatedPlover. 4<. Prairie Hen. WILLOW PTARMIGAN. 43 forest regions of northern New York, and westward to Minnesotaand north to Labrador. The retiring disposition of the bird has caused its habits to behttle known, and the nest is generally so well concealed that fewcollectors have succeeded in procuring specimens of the pairs of these birds have been successfully domesticatedby Mr. Watson Bishop, of Kentville, Nova Scotia, and an articlefrom his pen, published in the Ornithologist and Oologist forJanuary, 1889, contains much that is new concerning their birds were easily tamed, and soon became so fearless as tohop on Mr. Bishops knee and take food from his hand. When strutting before the hen, the male poses and puffs afterthe manner of a Gobbler. The feathers on his breast and collarare raised on end ; the combs over the eyes,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1905
