432 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Hew off with an irregular but remarkal)ly well-sustained flight, which was 

 continued until the Itird was out of sight. In searching around he soon 

 found its mate, which rose i'roni under a sage-bush with a noise like a whirl- 

 wind. This specimen was secured, and these birds were afterwards found to 

 be quite abundant, but very strong-winged and difficult to kill. It was no 

 uncommon tiling, Dr. Kennerly states, for him to pour a full charge of shot 

 into them at a short distance, dislodging a quantity of feathers, and yet to 

 have them fly off to so great a distance before they dropped that he could not 

 follow them. He found them only in the vicinity of the sage-bushes, under 

 whieli they were usually concealed. He afterwards saw them very abun- 

 dant on the shores of Wright and Ehett Lakes. In one instance he observed 

 a male bird to sink down on the ground, as the train aiiproached, depressing 

 its head, and lying as motionless as a stick, which it greatly resembled. As 

 he moved towards it, the bird lowered its head until it resteil on the ground, 

 and made itself as small as possible, and did not rise until lie had arrived 

 within fifteen feet of it. West of the Cascade Range it did not occur, 

 and all its preferences and habits seemed to fit it for the occupancy of the 

 sterile region of the central desert. Its flesh is dark and highly flavored 

 with the wormwood. Tiie young, if parboiled and stewed, are said to be 

 quite good ; but, on the whole, this Grouse is inferior for the table to any 

 other American species. 



Dr. Cooper gives this bird as common in Washington Territory, on tlie 

 high barren hills and deserts east of the Cascade Mountains, and limited in 

 its range by the growth of the Artemisia tridenUda, the leaves of which 

 shrub seem to be the principal part of its food ; the flesh tasting so strongly 

 of it as to be unpalatable. He saw none north of the Spokane Plains, the 

 country being apparently too w^oody. On those plains they were very com- 

 mon. He describes its flight as more heavy and less noisy than that of 

 most Grouse, and when they are started, it commonly extends a long dis- 

 tance before alighting. 



Dr. Suckley found the Sage-Cock abundant on the plains of Oregon, near 

 Snake River, on both sides of the Blue ilountains, as also along the line of 

 the Columbia, on the open plains, and on the sage barrens of the Yakima 

 and Simcoe Valleys, — in fact, wherever the artemisia was found. The leaves 

 of this shrub either are preferred or are necessary to its existence, for no 

 other food was found in their full stomachs, even in localities where abun- 

 dance of grass-seed, wild grain, gi-asshoppers, and other kinds of food, might 

 be found. This species has apparently the power of going a long while 

 without water. Lieutenant Fleming informed Dr. Suckley that he found 

 them about twelve miles west of Fort Laramie, but they were not seen 

 east of that point so far south. In August, 18.53, one was procured about 

 two hundred miles east of the Rocky IMountains. He also observed a small 

 flock on the plains bordering on llilk River, in Nebraska. Near Soda Lake, 

 the sink of the IMohave River, Dr. Cooper met with it, which is without 



