670 



GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 



hunter, they sometimes seek safety by plunging into the 

 snow, and, quickly burrowing beneath it, come out at a 

 distance, and often from a situation the least expected, 

 so that they frequently make good their retreat from their 

 enemies. 



The Sharp-Tailed Grous makes its nest on the ground, 

 near some bush, with loose grass and a few feathers ; 

 the eggs are from 9 to 13, white, with dusky spots. The 

 young are hatched about the middle of June, and utter a 

 puling note somewhat like chickens. Unsuccessful at- 

 tempts have been made to domesticate them. The male 

 has a shrill, rather feeble, crowing note ; and both sexes, 

 when disturbed, and on taking wing, repeat a reiterated 

 cry of Tcuh, kuk, kuk, accompanied by a smart flirting of 

 the tail-feathers, nearly similar to the opening and clos- 

 ing of a fan. In the breeding season the male struts 

 about proudly, in the usual manner of the genus and or- 

 der to which he belongs. The weight of this bird is 

 about two pounds, and the flesh is light brown when 

 cooked, and is much esteemed. 



The length of the Sharp-Tailed Grous is 16 inches, alar extent 23. 

 The general color of the bird is a mixture of white, and different 

 shades of ferruginous on a darkish ground. Breast and sides white, 

 with arrow-shaped spots of dusky ; the belly paler, vent almost 

 wholly white, with a few very small dusky spots ; 3d and 4th pri- 

 maries longest, outer wing-coverts brown, each feather with a con- 

 spicuous terminal spot ; axillary feathers v/hite, with a small dusky 

 spot on each. Quills plain dusky, with white spots at certain dis- 

 tances on their outer webs; secondaries spotted and tipped with 

 white. Tail graduated, the middle feathers 5 inches long, the outer 

 2, all dark, varied with ferruginous of different shades and mottled 

 with dusky, tapering from the base toward the point, where they sud- 

 denly dilate, and are emarginated at the extremity. The spring plum- 

 age is more bright than the autumnal, and likewise presents some 

 differences in the spots and markings. 



