198 The Grouse Family 



tionable. Certain it is, I have flushed the two 

 species close together, so close, that upon one 

 occasion I dropped a pinnated grouse with one 

 barrel and a sharptail with the other. It is pos- 

 sible the birds might shortly before have been 

 driven from opposite points of the compass to the 

 common cover, but there was nothing to indicate 

 that such was the case. Furthermore, I have 

 seen and handled birds which, so far as could be 

 judged, were hybrids — the product of a union 

 between the two, which would suggest that, at 

 least occasionally, the alleged hatchet was buried. 

 Taken all in all, it would appear that altered 

 conditions, rather than any unusual hostility be- 

 tween the species, are responsible for the respec- 

 tive retreat and advance. 



The sport afforded by this grouse is of a very 

 high order. At the opening of the season it lies 

 well to the dog, and springs with the usual whirr 

 of wings, at the same time uttering a vigorous 

 clucking, which is repeated again and again as 

 the birds speed away, alternately flapping and 

 sailing. When driven to brush, they very fre- 

 quently behave not unlike quail, flushing close at 

 hand, and offering the prettiest of single chances. 

 The flesh is excellent, light-colored in young 

 birds and darkening with age, but always worthy 

 of a place on the board. 



Not seldom, as one nears the pointing dog, he 



