File:Birds and nature (1901) (14569000250).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature91901chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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of the berries of plants be-longing to the Heath family, such as theblueberry, the huckleberry and the bear-berry, as well as the tender buds of thespruce. In the winter it feeds almost en-tirely on these buds, and the needle-likeleaves of the spruce, the fir or the tam-arack trees. At times they seem to showa preference for certain trees, and willnearly strip the foliage from them. As a food for man their flesh is farfrom satisfactory. It is dark-colored andstrongly flavored with the odor of theirnatural food. However, certain Indiantribes are said to relish them and huntthem extensively. Mr. Bishop, in Forest and Stream,relates the following very interesting ac-count of the strutting of. the male CanadaGrouse while in captivity. He says, Iwill describe as nearly as I can his con-duct and attitude while strutting: Thetail stands almost erect, the wings arcslightly raised from (he body and a littledrooped, the head is still well up, and thefeathers of breast and throat are raised 158
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CD o Si Q and standing out in regular rows, whichpress the feathers of the nape and hindneck well back, forming a smooth kindof cape on the back of the neck. Thissmooth cape contrasts beautifully withthe ruffled black and white feathers ofthe throat and fore breast. The red combover each eye is enlarged until the twonearly meet over the top of the head.This comb the bird is able to enlarge orreduce at will, and while he is struttingthe expanded tail is moved from side toside. The two center feathers do notmove, but each side expands and con-tracts alternately with each step the birdwalks. The movement of the tail pro-duces a peculiar rustling, like that of silk.This attitude gives him a very dignifiedand even conceited air. He tries to at-tract attention in every possible way, byflying from the ground up on a perch, andback to the ground, making all the noisehe can in so doing. Then he will thumpsome hard substance with his bill. I havehad him fly up on my shoulder and thumpmy collar.

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