TETRAONID.E — THE GROUSE — TETRAO. 527 



iiininitains near Xapa, and are saii.l to come down at times into the valleys, 

 liut have never been met with in California sontli of San Francisco. 



In the Sierra Nevada, Lit. 3'J°, I found them rather scarce, and in Septem- 

 her only above an elevation of six thousand feet, but was informed that 

 they went down mucli lower in winter, prol)ably about as far as the snows 

 fall, or to aliout two thousand feet, in that latitude. 



1 think their range is more dependent on the prevalence of spruce and 

 other dense coniferous forests than on the climate, as it is much milder near 

 Napa than at tliat elevation in the Sierra Nevada, and towards the north 

 they frequent valleys. I have seen them near the Columbia Eiver at all 

 seasons, usually inhabiting the dense forests, and therefore hard to shoot. 



Female, 



They, however, come out on the borders of ]irairies and openings when not 

 molested, esj)ecially in the early morning, and then afford a fine shot for the 

 sportsman, as tliey fly straightforward on being flushed, oidy reqiuilng a 

 quick eye and heavy shot to bring them down. If in or near the woods, 

 they often alight in a tree, and conceal themselves in the dark foliage so 

 perfectly as to require a long search to find them. They stand so perfectly 

 motionless at such times as to lie mistaken often for a bunch of dry leaves, 

 and I have seen them fly off from a tree where I had been looking for them 

 in -N-ain for some time. In flying downward they usually sail silently with 

 spread wings, but in starting from the ground make a loud whin-ing like 

 other grouse. 



In spring the males may be heard " tooting " in the trees, — making a low 

 htillow sound, something like tiie cooing of a pigeon, and which seems to 

 come from some place (piite distant liTim where the bird really is. 



