Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 1 (1843).djvu/215

Rh no means of rare occurrence, that the pheasant is invariably the intruder, driving off the partridge, sitting on both sets of eggs, and attending to the broods when hatched: the partridge, on the other hand, only takes possession of the pheasant's nest and eggs when forsaken by their owner; amongst these she deposits her own, broods over all, and is by far the best nurse of the two. It is a pity that I did not take note of the position of the eggs in the nest which I examined; it would be interesting to know whether or not the foster parent placed her adopted eggs on the outside of the nest.

The Black Grouse. On the 12th of April, 1843, when riding over the green hills which divide the head waters of the Teviot from those of the tributaries of the Esk, I rested for two hours at the inn of Mosspaul; there, on a sloping hill, I noticed a pack of black grouse, consisting of three males and eleven females, feeding within 150 yards of the inn door and 50 yards from the highway on which I stood: one of the former lowered his head, depressed the tips of his wings, erected and expanded his tail, now and then bending it on one side like a turkey-cock, and, strutting about in pompous style before the females, uttered a loud, rumbling, guttural, and at first generally querulous and then rolling note, which, in that quiet narrow glen, was easily heard at the distance of a quarter of a mile: it would be difficult to syllable such a note; the snarling of a mastiff, omitting the nasal part of the performance, gives a pretty correct idea of the rolling notes. The proud bird was a haughty wooer, for aye as each female fled from his importunities, after pursuing her a short way, he paid his addresses to another: it is a curious fact that, although the amorous chase often brought him into close contact with the other two males, who remained silent and unconcerned spectators of his fooleries, not the slightest animosity was manifested by either party. A stage-coach dispersed the pack; two males and eight females flew across the glen; on alighting, one of the former recommenced his gestures and notes, and occasionally uttered a loud, harsh, hissing squeal or scream. By reason of his importunities, as well as to obtain food, the pack soon became scattered, so he was obliged at times to fly from group to group of coy females, scarcely ever intermitting his curious cry when on the ground. A man at the inn informed me that these notes and gestures usually commenced about the middle of March, and ceased in the course of eight or ten weeks. I observed their habits most attentively during the space of an hour and a half, noting down everything of interest, and although this account may