SIEKBA GROUSE 547 



ui)poi' edge of the forest, and even beyond. This is especially true 

 of the old male birds after the close of the nesting season. On the 

 other hand it seems doubtful if this grouse occurs regularly at lower 

 elevations than first indicated above, even during the heaviest snows 

 of winter. 



In the extreme southern part of its range the Sierra Grouse does 

 not occur much below 8,000 feet, as on Mount Pinos, Ventura County 

 (Grinnell, 1905, p. 382), and in the Mount Whitney region around 

 Monache Meadows (Mus. Vert. Zool.). Immediately south Avest of 

 the Sequoia National Park near Blue Ridge, Tulare County, the two 

 localities named Grouse Valley and Upper Grouse Valley, at 3,700 

 to 4,700 feet altitude suggest low stations for the species; but this 

 needs verification by actual observation. In the central Sierras in 

 the vicinity of Yosemite, Grouse do not range much below 7,000 feet 

 (Mus. Vert. Zool.), but on ]\Iount Shasta they occur regularly at 

 Wagon Camp, altitude 5,700 feet (C. H. Merriam, 1899, p. 110). 

 However, this decrease in their elevation towards the north is simul- 

 taneous with a diminution, in the higher altitudes, of the kinds of coni- 

 ferous trees which they habitually frequent. These grouse are 

 nowhere found in the same abundance as quail : as a rule not more 

 than four or five can be started in an hour's walk through the most 

 favorable country. Indeed several miles may be covered without 

 seeing or hearing one of the birds, even in the heart of their territory. 



The Sierra Grouse is a forest bird, rarely if ever found away 

 from the shelter afforded by coniferous trees. A factor in determin- 

 ing its association with these trees is the dependence of the grouse 

 on pine and fir needles for food during a portion of the year. While 

 a certain amount of time is spent regularly on the ground at other 

 times than when nesting or with young, adults probably spend most 

 of their lives in the trees. Not infrequently one may come upon a 

 grouse feeding on the ground, but when alarmed there it will almost 

 invariably take refuge well up in a tree. 



After a long field experience wdth this species John Muir writes 

 (1901, pp. 216-217) : 



They like best the heaviest silver-fir woods near garden and meadow openings, 

 where there is but little underbrush to cover the approach of enemies. When a 

 flock . . . sees a man for the first time . . . they rise with hurried notes . . . 

 and alight on the lowest branches of the trees. . . . They allow you to approach 

 within a half dozen paces, then quietly hop a few branches higher or fly to the 

 next tree without a thought of concealment. . . . But in the neighborhood of 

 roads and trails they soon become shy, and when disturbed fly into the highest, 

 leafiest trees, so well do they know how to hide and keep still. . . . Nor can 

 they be easily dislodged ere they are ready to go. In vain the hunter goes 

 round and round some tall pine or fir into which he has perhaps seen a dozen 

 enter . . . ; not a feather can he see unless his eyes have been sharpened by long 



