136 FRANK SCHLEY'S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. 



or on leafless trees, sunning themselves in the early sun- 

 light. At Fort Dallas a young bird, scarcely two days old, 

 was found on the first of April. This early incubation seems 

 to prove that they must have more than one brood in a 

 season. The young Grouse was confided to the charge of 

 a Hen with a brood of young Chickens; bat it refused to 

 associate with them, and escaped, probably to perish of 

 cold. Dr. Cooper adds that this Grouse is found in Wash- 

 ington Territor}^ only in the low alluvial prairies of the 

 streams emptying into the Columbia East of the Cascade 

 Mountains, where it was found in flocks of several hun- 

 dreds. They shun high grounds and forests entirely. The 

 only cry he ever heard them utter was a cackle when sud- 

 denly started from the ground. Their wings make a loud 

 whirring, as among others of this family. Mr. J. K. Lord 

 found this species abundantly distributed on the western 

 slope of the Eocky Mountains, ranging right and left of 

 the 49th parallel. It was particularly numerous on the 

 plains near the Kootanie Eiver, round Osoyoos Lakes, and 

 in the Valley of the Columbia. He did not meet with any 

 on the western side of the Cascade Eange. It is also found 

 in the Eed Eiver settlements and in Northern Minnesota. 

 •'Mr. Elliott is quite in error in stating that this Grouse 

 does not occur East of the Mississippi, as it is found nearly 

 throughout Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. I 

 have seen a flock within thirty miles of Chicago, and have 

 from time to time had their eggs from Dane county, Wis- 

 consin. Mr. Lord regards this Grouse as remarkable both 

 for its field qualities, such as lying well to a dog, rising 

 with a loud rattling whir, frequenting open grassy prai- 

 ries, and flying as straight as an arrow, and for its excel- 

 lence as a table dainty. For delicacy of flavor its flesh is 

 unequaled. With the fur traders this species is known as 

 the Spotted Chicken, and is, furthermore, the Skis-kin of the 

 Kootanie Indians. Its singular coinbination of colors — 

 white, black, and brownish yellow — makes it exactly re- 

 semble the ground on which it lives, and admirably har- 

 monizes with the dead twigs and leaves of the artemisia. 



