. Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission . rformance 344 BOYS AND BIRDS. will be continued sometimes for hours, with variousintervals; and, like the whip-poor-will, the bird hasthe power of so modifying the sound as to whollydeceive the listener as to the distance. The Canada Grouse is a rare bird with us, andconfines its range to the thick woods and swamps-Its eggs are among the most beautiful that are laid,and I had long desired to add one to my collection,but should probably have failed except for the skilland assistance of poor Jim Lee. Making him com-prehend my wants, after careful sear
. Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission . rformance 344 BOYS AND BIRDS. will be continued sometimes for hours, with variousintervals; and, like the whip-poor-will, the bird hasthe power of so modifying the sound as to whollydeceive the listener as to the distance. The Canada Grouse is a rare bird with us, andconfines its range to the thick woods and swamps-Its eggs are among the most beautiful that are laid,and I had long desired to add one to my collection,but should probably have failed except for the skilland assistance of poor Jim Lee. Making him com-prehend my wants, after careful searching for manydays he found the prize; the nest was hid awayunderneath the low and widespreading boughs of ahemlock, and contained twelve eggs like this beauty which I show you.(Plate II., Fig. 5.)It is of a beautifulyellow - buff color,w i t h spots andblotches of twToshades of richbrown, and oval inform. I hold it asamong my richestegg treasures. Fig. <&.-Bob^Yldte. « Bllt passing the grouse or partridges, we come to a very common. BOYS AND BIRDS. 345 bird, the Quail, or Bob-Write (Fig. 94), as he ismore familiarly called. In the South this bird is known as the Vir-ginia Partridge, and it is not definitely settled whichname is the proper one; but he is a nice bird, callhim by what name they please. The common quailsare so well known as to need no description. Theydiffer but little, whether found in the Xorth or South,the main variation being more or less white, es-pecially under thethroat. (Fig. 95.) Onthe Western plainsand the Pacific coast,however, there areseveral varieties withdistinct and peculiarmarkings. Several Fl hr^ted Quail. of them are found in California. One of these varieties has two long plumes whichput out from the head and fall down very grace-fully over the back ; but another, and the most beau-tiful, shows five splendid feathers starting from thetop of the head and recurved over the forehead,forming a magnificent crest, as you see in my ) On
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1874
