213 





Lac-la-Pierre. Had I but the pen of M. Andubon, I could 

 give as striking a description of it as he gives of the " Bin! of 

 Washington." Of the genus Tetrcio I remarked the following 

 ( species: Tetrao Phasianellusi the one which I have already 



described as inhabiting the plains; T. canadensis, which 

 frequents pine woods; T. UmbelluSf or the White Flesher, a 

 bird found ^mong poplar woods, and remarkable for the 

 curious beating that it makes with its wings, and always when 

 seated on a fallen tree; another species of Tetrao, nearly 

 allied to the last, and probably only a variety oi it; T. Rich^ 



ardsoni : 



M 



Bonaparte, in honour of Dr. Richardson ; it is the largest 

 species that I saw, and appears to be peculiar to the Rocky 

 Mountains; the back of the male is of an uniform dark 

 brown, nearly black, with the breast and under part of a 

 leaden colour, the space round the eyes, which is bare of 

 feathers, is, in this bird, of a yellow colour. The usual 

 station of the male, about the pairing time, is on some rocky 

 eminence, or large stone, Vvhere he sits, swelling out his 

 neck, spreading his tail, and repeating the cry, " Coombe, 

 Coombe," in the fine mornings. The hens much resemble 



the females of Tetrao canadensis, and are considerably 

 smaller than the other sex. They live on berries and herbs 

 of various kinds, and are very good eating. Of those species 

 that turn white during winter, I saw three ; they were easily 

 distinguishable by one having the whole tail black, another 

 lias only two black feathers in it, and the other has a tail 

 entirely white. Neither Ptarmigans nor JVillow-Grous 

 occur among the mountains, and none of the species are 

 "Migratory; but the winter residents are few in number. The 

 following birds were seen : seven or eight species of Wood- 

 pecker, the Golden Winged species being the only one that 

 migrates; three or four diiferent Owls; the Common Raven, 

 and the Corvus canadensis, (the Ushashoan of the Indians;) 

 this bird is very familiar, generally making its appearance 

 wherever you may chance to encamp, attracted doubtless by 

 the hope of finding provisions. It is very fond of tlie flit of 

 "leat, which it will steal, and lay up encache for a future 



