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to be heard but the whittling of knives, trimming arrows. Some-
thing moved near us, and the practiced ear of one of the Indians
recognized the presence of a partridge. " Be quiet," said he; " if
I can finish my arrow before it gets too dark, you will not escape
from me." The young Indian hastened his work, and he had
barely cut the arrow out in rough, when he rose and discharged it
at a partridge perched at a few paces from us. So we secured
our supper.
The genus Tetrao includes seven species here : two of them are
found in all our woods : the Ruffed Grouse, and the Spotted Grouse.
One kind frequents the mountains, while the other of these Laga-
¦pedes prefers stony ground. The two others of the same sub-genus,
generally frequent the Arctic regions.
The last on the list of Tetraonidae, the Faisan of voyageurs and
the Prairie-Chicken of the English, inhabits the plains, but a few
are found in the woods. The last is probably the most palatable,—its
flesh is less insipid than that of other members of the same family.
Although the assertion may surprise epicures, I owe it to truth to
declare that there is very little flavor in our partridge flesh, and it
is certainly not a gastronomic delicacy which led to my talking
with feelings of pleasure about our humble and modest tetrao.
The willow grouse is undoubtedly the prettiest of the genus, and
probably the most numerous, for it is seen in vast flocks.   ¦ The
color of its winter dress is in no way different from the brillian
white of its bed.    It is in the snow that this  Lagoped sleeps a*
night, and there, too, it conceals itself to avoid pursuit.
There is but one species of pigeon that frequents this country ?
and it visits us only in summer. At that season they abound here
as they do in Canada, and are an abundant source'of food. Already
some people in the colony are calculating on the time when these
will help in alleviating the famine which is in the country.
Domestic pigeons have been imported, and I have often admired
their bravery and endurance in withstanding the rigors of our win-
ters without any artificial protection against the cold. The simplest
pigeon house, or the most miserable ruin, is sufficient for them.
Poultry were brought here from Sault Ste. Marie in 1822. We
have now all kinds, from the common to the giant Cochin-China
(Shanhai). Want of grain for their food has much reduced them
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