. The American sportsman: . wing; they also frequentlytake to the branches of the highest forest-trees, and, if then shot,they fall and turn round and round with great violence, not unlikea common chicken, till dead. If slightly wounded only, they run -with great swiftness, and hide themselves in some secluded spot,where they remain motionless. FEEDING AND ROOSTING. Prairie-chickens resort to their feeding-ground at a very earlyhour of the day, and retire towards noon to preen and dust them- Iselves in the ploughed fields or along the roads, and do not comeout again till late in the afternoon.
. The American sportsman: . wing; they also frequentlytake to the branches of the highest forest-trees, and, if then shot,they fall and turn round and round with great violence, not unlikea common chicken, till dead. If slightly wounded only, they run -with great swiftness, and hide themselves in some secluded spot,where they remain motionless. FEEDING AND ROOSTING. Prairie-chickens resort to their feeding-ground at a very earlyhour of the day, and retire towards noon to preen and dust them- Iselves in the ploughed fields or along the roads, and do not comeout again till late in the afternoon. They do not, as a general thing, roost on trees, but, like thepartridge, they select a little eminence of ground in the open field,and squat about within a few feet of each other; at all events,such is their usage during a greater portion of the year. When the several broods have united and formed packs, theyare said to resort to the trees and fences to roost, which habit theycontinue till the following season of THE PRAIRIE-II EN. 163 TIME FOR SHOOTINa. Tlie pot-liuntcr -who shoots for the markets hunts these birdslong before the broods are Avell grown; the real sportsman, hoA^-ever, does not think of going after them before the middle of August, when the young birds are so large that it is even difficult totell them from the old ones, save by their bills and feet. The various broods remain separate and distinct till the latterpart of September or early in October, when they unite together,forming packs in many instances containing several hundred. As observed under the following heading, prairie-hens are notmuch esteemed during the winter months, and consequently arenot generally sought after by the epicurean sportsmen, who deemit but just and right that our game should be killed only at thoseperiods when it is in its best condition. THEIR FLESH. The comparative merits of the meat of these two varieties ofgrouse are often a subject of discussion among sportsmen and
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