304 THE SHAEP-TAILED GROUSE. 



or speckles of darker brown thickly spattered 

 over them. 



After nesting-time, they first appear in coveys 

 or broods about the middle of August ; the young- 

 birds are then about three parts grown, strong on 

 the wing, and afford admirable sport. At this 

 time they live by the margins of small streams, 

 where there is thin timber and underbrush, with 

 plenty of sandy banks to dust in. About the 

 middle of September and on into October they 

 begin to pack ; first two or three coveys get 

 together, then flock joins flock, until they 

 gradually accumulate into hundreds. On the 

 first appearance of snow they begin to perch, 

 settling on high dead pine-trees, the dead 

 branches being a favourite locality ; or, should 

 there be any farms, they pitch round on the top 

 of the snake- fences. At the Hudson's Bay 

 trading-post at Fort Colville there were large 

 Avheat- stubbles ; in these, after the snow fell, 

 they assembled in vast numbers. Wary and 

 shy they are now, and most difficult to get at ; 

 the cause being,. I apprehend, the snow rendering 

 every moving thing so conspicuous, it is next 

 to impossible for dogs to hunt them. 



Their food in the summer consists principally 

 of berries the snowberry (Symphoricarpus 



