Interior of British North America. 135 



blanda andR. micrantha), the ^n&dXo-hQxvy {Shepherdia argentea), 

 and buds of theHippopha'e canadensiSfCherry-hirch. {Betula lento), 

 and willow. In spring I have also found the crops to contain 

 the flowers of Anemone patens; and Mr. Hardisty, the Master 

 of Fort Carlton, on whose word I could rely, informed me that 

 in the beginning of April, while travelling in search of buffalos 

 over a part of the plains which had been burned by a prairie-fire 

 the preceding autumn, he found in their crops a number of 

 baked caterpillars and insects. In winter they collect in large 

 packs, and, during fine weather, bask in the sun, perched on 

 willows and aspens ; while at other times they scrape holes 

 through the snow down to the ground, and squat there. 



Towards spring the Sharp-tailed Grouse of a neighbourhood 

 collect at a certain spot on the prairie (usually a small mound 

 or other raised position) twice a day, morning and evening, about 

 the time of sunrise and sunset, to celebrate, in their peculiar way, 

 festivities of love, displayed to so remarkable a degree by birds 

 of this family. By the inhabitants of the fur-countries this is 

 called " dancing.^' It is commenced even before the snow is off 

 the ground ; and one frequently comes by chance on such places 

 where the snow and grass are beaten down for the space of many 

 yards. I had often, during the spring mornings, heard the pecu- 

 liar chuckling noise made by the birds on these occasions ; for it 

 can be heard at a distance of over half a mile ; but having been 

 confined to the Fort during that part of the day by magnetic 

 observations, I was not able to search out the originators of it, 

 which was the more annoying as the hunters and others used to 

 tell me most wonderful stories of the " pheasants' dance." 

 However, I was not doomed to be altogether disappointed ; for, 

 after our arduous work was completed, I went out on a trip to 

 the plains, with the buffalo-hunters, at the commencement of 

 April. On awaking one morning, when we were camped at a 

 place called the " Mosquito Springs," my ears caught the well- 

 known chuckling sound. I need hardly say that I was not long 

 before I tied on my mocassins, and made ray way towards a small 

 knoll on the plain, which was but a short distance from our night's 

 camp ; and on nearing the place I could observe some Sharp- 

 tailed Grouse running about. They were quite unsuspicious. 



