ITS HABITAT AND FAVOURITE HAUNTS. 303 



on the tobacco-plains near the Kootanie river, 

 round the Osoyoos lakes, and in the valley of 

 the Columbia. 



I have never seen this grouse on the western 

 side of the Cascade range. This bird is also 

 found in the Red River settlements, in the north 

 of Minnesota, as well as on the shores of Hudson's 

 Bay, and on the Mackenzie river. Mr. Ross 

 notes it as far north as the Arctic Circle. 



Of the different species of grouse I met with 

 in my rambles (described in vol. ii.) not one has 

 come so often under my observation as this, the 

 sharp-tailed grouse. Its favourite haunt is on open 

 grassy plains, in the morning keeping itself 

 concealed in the thick long grass, but coming in 

 about midday to the streams to drink, and dust 

 itself in the sandy banks ; it seldom goes into the 

 timber, and, if it does, always remains close to 

 the prairie, never retiring into the depths of the 

 forest. 



They lay their eggs on the open prairie, in 

 a tuft of grass, or by the foot of a small hillock ; 

 nesting early in the spring, and laying from twelve 

 to fourteen eggs. The nest is a hole scratched 

 out in the earth, a few grass-stalks and root-fibres 

 laid carelessly and loosely over the bottom ; the 

 eggs are of a dark rusty-brown, with small splashes 



