THE SAGE GEOUSE. XOD 



His tail was spread out fan-like, at viglit angles from the body, and was moved 

 from side to side with a slow quivering movement. The wings were traiUng on 

 the ground. While in this position he moved around with short, stately, and 

 hesitating steps, slowly and gingerly, evidently highly satistied with his per- 

 formance, uttering, at the same time, low, grunting, guttural sounds, somewhat 

 similar to the pumng of a cat when pleased, only louder. This was kei)t up 

 for some ten minutes. After having regained his usual attitude it was hard to 

 believe that this was the same bird I had seen but a few minutes before. 



Dining the winter the liirds pack, and I have nwre than once seen 

 from tifty to a hunch-ed together. By the 10th of March they are already 

 pretty well scattered, and many are })aired by this time. In the \acinity of 

 Camp Harney nidification usually begins about the middle of April. I have 

 found a full set of nine slightly incubated eggs of this species on April 7, 

 1877, and the first egg must have been laid before March 25. Fresh speci- 

 mens were also taken by me as late as June 2, probably a second laying, 

 the tirst having been destroyed. But one brood is raised in a season. 



The nest is always placed on the ground, in a slight depression, usually 

 under the shelter of a small sage bush. I have found several, however, 

 some little distance from sage brush flats, alongside and sheltered by a bunch 

 of tall rye grass (Elijmus condcusatus!), near the borders of small creeks. 

 The nest is usually very poorly lined, and in fact the eggs frequently lay 

 on the bare ground without any lining whatever, and are often found in 

 quite exposed situations. I found such a one on May 11, 1875. My notes 

 read as follows: "I stumbled accidentally on this nest. It was placed within 

 a yard of a much-used Indian trail, in a very exposed position, so much so 

 that I saw the eggs while still 5 yards off. There really was no nest, simply 

 a mere depression scratched out by the bird on the south side of a very 

 small sage bush, which afforded no concealment t)r protection from rain what- 

 ever. The bush itself was not over a foot and a half high, growing on a 

 rocky plateau about 3 miles east of Camp Harney- A few feathers were 

 scattered among the eggs which laid on tlie bare ground, and were separated 

 from each other by bits of grass and dry leaves of the sage. One of the 

 eggs was nearly covered with dirt and almost buried out of sight. The set 

 contained eight eggs, and these were nearly hatched. They wei'e cold when 

 found, and the nest had evidently been abandoned for some days." 



As a rule the Sage Hen is a very close sitter, and is loath to leave her 

 nest at any time. I have almost stepped on them before they would quit 

 their eggs. 



Capt. William L. Carpenter, U. S. Army, writes me: "I found a nest at 

 Foi't Bridger, Wyoming, where this species is numerous, June 1, witli nine 

 fresh eggs. I was standing alongside a sage bush watching butterflies; sev- 

 eral times looking down carelessly without seeing anything unusal, when 

 happening again to glance at the foot of the bush, in the very place 1)efore 

 observed, I saw the winking of an eye. Looking more intently a grayish 



