Goo 



THE SAGE GROUSE. 



ends Ijlackish ; fluffy feathers siiowy-vvliite, like wonl. llie longer overlying fila- 

 mentous plumes glossy black" (Coues). .Ididt /V;;/a/t'; Similar to male, but 

 much smaller and without black of chin and throat ; feathers of neck not strik- 

 ingly ])eculiar. Length of cock: 24.00-30.00 (609.6-762): wing 12.00 (304. 8): 

 tail 11.00-13.00 ( 279.4-330.2 ); weight 4-8 ])Ounds. Adult hen : length 21.00-23.00 

 (533.4-584.2) : wing 10.00-11.00 (254-279.4) : tail 7.00-9.00 ( I/J.S-22S.6) : weight 

 3-5 pounds. 



Recognition Marks. — llrant size: largest of .\nierican ('.rouse; sage- 

 haunting haljits. 



Nesting. — .\ est : a scantih lined de|)ression in ground under sage-bush. 

 Eggs: 6-15. usually 8 or 9, pale buffy-olive to olive-green, dotted anil spotted with 

 dark brown. The marking is of different degrees of intensity, is well distributed, 

 and varies in size from a pin-head to a ]5ea, tending to circular forms. Av. size, 

 2.20x1.54 (55.9x39.1). Season: April-May 10: one brood. 



General Range. — Sage-brush plains of the western I'nited States and south- 

 ern ]iortions of I'.ritish Columbia. Alberta, and .\ssinihoia, south to Xew Mexico 

 and .Arizona. 



Range in Washington. — Practically coextensive with that of sage-brush 

 (especially .liieiiiisia tiidcntata) in eastern Washington. 



Authorities. — | Lewis and Clark. Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Riddle: Coues, Vol. 

 II.. p. 180. 1 Ceiitrocernis iii'of^luisiaiiiis Swains, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. 



jx., 1858, p. (^2^. T. c&s. 1)'. rv. S-'. Ss--. 



Specimens. — P. C. E. 



AS bamboo to the ()ricntal. ov as the cocoaiiiU palm to the Si>utli Sea 

 Islander, so is the sage bush to this Cock of the Plains. It not only provides 

 him shelter of a sort, but food and prol)abl\' drink as well. At least, from 

 tlie fact that the Sage Cock is found at such distances from water, we are 



forced to conclude that the 

 (lew-co\ere(l browse of the 

 Artemisia must often ser\'e 

 the bii-(l in lieu of water. As 

 |o food, this Grouse has so 

 long depeuiled up<in the 

 lea\'es and tender shoots of 

 the sage brush and grease- 

 wciod for subsistence, that it 

 is incapable of digesting 

 grain when it is offered. 

 The bird's gizzard, unlike 

 that of other grouse, is not a 

 strong, muscular grinding- 

 organ, but a membranous 

 sac capable of great disten- 

 sion, but unerjual to the task 



Tahcn lu-ar .V/'c/ajju' 



Tdci^lioto by ir. U. U'rigli. 



SAGE GI^OUSE HIDING. 



