CENTROCEECUS UROPHASIANUS, SAGE COCK. 405 



patches of 'sage brush" [Artemisia tridentata), I was suddenly startled 

 by a great flutter and rush, and a dark bird, that appeared to me as 

 large as a Turkey, rose from the ground near me, and, uttering a hoarse 

 hek hel; flew off with an irregular, but remarkably wellsustaiued, course. 



"I was just then stooping to drink from the little stream, and quite 

 unprepared for game of any kind, least of all for such a bird, evidently 

 a Grouse, but so big and black, so far exceeding all reasonable dimen- 

 sions, that I did not think of shooting him, but stood with open eyes, 

 and, doubtless, open mouth, eagerly watching his flight to mark him 

 down. But stop he did not — so long as I could see him, now flapping, 

 now sailing, he kept on his course till he disappeared behind a hill a 

 mile away. 



" I was, of course, greatly chagrined by his escape, but knowing tliat, 

 given one Grouse, it is usually not difficult to find another, 1 commenced 

 looking about for the mate of the one I had lost. My search was not 

 a long one; almost immediately she rose from under a sage brush with 

 a noise like a whirl-wind, not to fly a mile before stopping to look 

 around, as the cock had done, but, by a fortunate shot, falling helpless 

 to the ground. No deer-stalker ever felt more triumphant enthusiasm 

 while standing over the prostrate body of a buck, or fisherman when 

 the silvery sides of a salmon sparkled in his landing-net, than I felt as 

 I picked up this great, and to me unknown, bird. 1 afterward ranged 

 the hill-sides for liours, with more or less success, waging a war on these 

 birds, which I found to be quite abundant, but very strong-winged and 

 diificult to kill. I repeatedly flushed them not ten yards from me, and, 

 as they rose, poured my whole charge, rigbt and left, into them, knock- 

 ing out feathers, perhaps, but not killing the bird, which, in defiance of 

 ali my hopes and expectations, would carry oti" my shot to such a dis- 

 tance that I would not follow him, even did I know he would never rise 

 again. Here, as elsewhere, 1 found these birds confined to the vicinity 

 of the ' sage bushes,' from under which they usually spring. 



" A few days later, on the shores of Wright and Rhett Lakes, we 

 found them very abundant, and killed all we cared to. A very fine 

 male which I killed there was passed by nearly the whole party, within 

 thirty feet, in open ground. 1 noticed him as soon, i)erhaps, as he saw 

 us, and waited to watch his movements. As the train approached he 

 sank down on the ground, depressing his h(\id, and lying as motionless 

 as a stick or root, whicli he greatly resembled. After the party had 

 passed I moved toward him, when he depressed his head till it rested, 

 on the ground, and evidently made himself as small as possible. He 

 did not move till I had approached within fifteen feet of him, when he 

 arose, and I shot him. He was in line plumage, and Aveighed over five 

 pounds. We continued to meet with the Sage Hen, whenever we crossed 

 sage ]»lains, till we reached the Columbia. 



''To the westward of the Cascade Kange this bird probably does not 

 exis*^, as all its habits and prelerences seem to fit it for the occupancy 

 of the sterile and anhydious region of the central desert. Its llesh i.* 

 dark and, i)articularly in old birds, highly llavored with worm-wood, 

 wliicli, to most persons, is no proof of exct'llenee. The young bird, il 

 l)arboil«'d and stewed, is very good ; but, as a whole, tliis is inferior foi 

 the tabli^ to any other s])eeies of American Grouse." 



In tlie. paper al)ove cited, iNIr. lloicU'ii remarks a habit of this GroUvSe 

 probably known to lew. " They roost in circles on the ground," ho says; 

 ''I hiive seen a patch of ground, fifteen I'eet in di:imetev, coin]»letely 

 coxcred with their excrement. 1 tliiiik tlu\v resort to the same place 

 many niglits in succession, unless disturbeil.''' 



