8 



THE MUSEUM. 



at an altitude of 7000 feet; and al- 

 though the winter snows still clung in 

 patches to the mountain-sides about 

 them, I have no reason to suppose 

 that they were raised more than half a 

 mile away. 



Franklin's Grouse, Dcndragapus 

 franklinii. — Not nearly so common a 

 bird as the last. It does not appar- 

 ently range so low as the Sooty Grouse 

 in any given section, where both are 

 found; nor on the contrary, I suspect, 

 is it to be found about the higher 

 peaks. 



On the 28th of April, 1896, I found 

 a nest of this bird at an altitude of 

 about a thousand feet above Lake 

 Chelan. It was placed in the tall 

 grass, which clothed the side of an in- 

 conspicuous "draw" bottom, and al- 

 though the plow had recently turned 

 up the soil within five feet of her, the 

 mother bird clung to her post I took 

 several "snap shots" of her at close 

 range, and she allowed me to advance 

 my hand to within a foot of her, when 

 she stepped quietly off the eggs and 

 stood looking back at me over her 

 shoulder. The nest was a depression 

 in the gravel-filled soil, lined with grass 

 and dry corn leaves, besides a few 

 stray feathers: depth 3 inch, width 7 

 inches. The seven eggs are unusually 

 large: 1.98x1.83 and 1.94x1.35 are 

 the measurements of two average eggs 

 of the set. 



Oregon Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa 

 nvibelhts sabini. The differentiation 

 of the sub-species of the Ruffed Grouse 

 is not at all clear in this region. In 

 any case the range and habit of the 

 local species is nearly like that of the 

 eastern bird, inasmuch as it frequents 

 copses, springs and river bottoms at 

 low altitudes. One hardly knows 

 when he hears a sharp, rapid '-dsck, 

 dsck, dsck. dsrk" close at hand in the 

 brush, whether he has started up a 

 "pheasant" or a red squirrel. 



White-taileu Ptarmigan, Lagopiis 

 Icm-in-KS. This species is reported as 

 not uncommon in the higher altitudes. 

 I met with them once on the barren 



summit of Wright's Peak at an eleva- 

 tion of about 9,000 feet. So far from^ 

 deserving the name of "fool hen," ap- 

 plied to them in the winter season, 

 when they may be readily approached, 

 these ptarmigan in August were exces- 

 sively afraid and absolutely unap- 

 proachable; although it is certain they 

 had never seen a human being before. 

 One, upon sighting me at fifty yards, 

 squawked in extreme tenor and whirred 

 away at a wonderful pace. 



Columbian Saarp-tailed Grouse, 

 Pcdiocactcs pliasianclbis colitDtbianus. 

 The common bird in open situations 

 which yet afford copses and cover — an 

 invariable accompaniment of stubble 

 fields and a habitue of grain-stacks. 

 Although bred to a terrestial life they 

 are quite at home in the branches of a 

 willow or alder sapling. Indeed, from 

 the frequency with which I have met 

 them in such situations in the evening 

 and at early morning, I have even sus- 

 pected that they sometimes roost so. — 

 Bulletin No. 10, The ll'ilso/i Oriii- 

 thological Cliapter. 



We are in receipt of several blank 

 cards of membership of the Mexican 

 Botanical Club, which we will gladly 

 send to anyone interested, or they can 

 procure them by writing the Manager 

 Mexican Botanical Club, Maravatio, 

 Mexico. We can cheerfully commend 

 to our readers and all others the object 

 of this club. The Manager agrees tO' 

 ship at least 20 plants each week dur- 

 ing the season free by mail, postpaid, 

 four or more of each variety, and guar- 

 antee safe arrival in good condition 

 and suitable for either herbarium, class 

 room or propogating purposes. Un- 

 doubtedly members of this club, at the 

 end of one year will be able to congrat- 

 ulate themselves over a collection em- 

 bracing 1000 plants in at least 250 

 varieties. 



