Show TOWERINC BIRDS Alter llelne Shot In Flight They Anefml unit Din In the Air Why Is it that n mallard a grouse n quail nnd for the matter of thnt perhaps per-haps any bird when wounded In the head during flight will frequently tower tow-er or mount upward an ncuto angle oftentimes to die In midair and drop dend to the earth like a plummet or setting its wings como to earth at along a-long sloping angle I remember a curious case of this kind In connection with n sharptall grouse We were walking through prairie grass well above our knees I when n long distance ahead upon n knoll on the prairie we espied a sharp tall grouse an old cork bird standing erect III a sort of oasis of short velvety I vel-vety grass not more than a couple of yards In diameter AVe walked quietly along taking care not to stamp our feet upon the ground any more than necessary The bird seemingly I wns engrossed with something some-thing for with Its back to us it paid no attention to us whatsoever until we hnd advanced within about eighty yards of It Turning its head it sized us up mid then began to show symptoms I symp-toms of restlessness ttrst standing on one leg and then upon the other The enrly afternoon sun was shining brightly bright-ly I and the beautiful bird with neck and bond erect and body distended upon Its restless feet made an attractive I Ive nnd unique picture I The wary bird evidently thought we were close enough when with a spring and a coo coo he darted up in the air My friend slightly in advance of me took the shot The bird did not seem to change Its course or alter its flight in nuy way Up up up almost in a straight line the bird towered its wings beating time Ir and propelling It skyward We watched the towering bird until we thought it would go out of sight when Its wings ceased to bent anti < became set as when alighting upon the ground Down down it came slowly at first and < then more rapidly nt nn angle directly di-rectly toward us finally falling stone dead at our feet Picking the bird up and carefully examining It we found I a single shot had penetrated Its head < Presumably tho nerves of direction in the brain were paralyzed and the bird yet full of life and vigor beat the air 1 1I and ascended upward I have seen n mallard < do this same thing in the towering tow-ering line likewise a quail What is tho explanation Charles Crlstadoro in Forest and Stream I |