256 Cameron, Birds of Custer & Davenport Counties, Mont. [julv 



extreme agitation at my approach. Running with a trailing wing she 

 would fall over and lie struggling on the ground, which induced the dogs 

 to chase her away, and convinced me that she had young close by. I 

 again made the dogs lie down by the horse and began to search in small, 

 gradually increasing circles, but not without opposition on the part of the 

 distracted parent which sought by feints and struggles to engage my atten- 

 tion. All the time she kept up a short, shrill whistle, dropping at intervals 

 to a harsh note, and appearing to utter these sounds without opening her 

 beak. 



Finding her efforts unavailing she would run close up to me, and flinging 

 herself down, remain motionless with outspread wings, in the hope that 

 I would desist from my search to pick her up. By her manoeuvres she 

 assisted me to find her nestlings and I soon saw two little pale yellow birds, 

 spotted with black, together with an egg, on the bare ground, for there 

 was no pretence at a nest. The two nestlings were perfectly helpless and 

 unable to stand, which seems to indicate that some days must elapse before 

 the young of this species can run. 



57. Pedicecetes phasianellus campestris. Prairie Sharp-tailed 

 Grouse. — Common. (Plate IX, Fig. 2.) 



In the pairing season the Sharp-tailed Grouse indulge in an extraordinary 

 'play' which is called a 'chicken dance' and roughly may be said to take 

 place every day, excepting during stormy or threatening weather, from 

 about April 10 to May 10. In the spring of 1900 I had unusual oppor- 

 tunities for watching it, the grouse having chosen for their playground 

 the further bank of the creek intersecting my ranch, which here sloped 

 from a high steep cliff on the south to a level sage brush flat on the north. 

 As the channel of the creek was deep it was possible by using great care 

 to approach close to them without being observed, and on two occasions 

 I got within twenty yards, being at one time only about six yards from 

 some of the birds. Not until April 18 did I actually observe the grouse, 

 although their dance was begun at least a week earlier, as could be told 

 by their cooing, which was audible about a mile on a still day. There 

 was an open space in the sage brush which was thick on the down creek 

 or north side, and to this point they flew by twos and threes until twenty 

 had assembled on the playground, not to mention the hidden spectators. 

 The average time for the beginning of the dance was about 4.30 p. m., 

 which continued until six or much later if there were many interruptions. 

 What little I had previously seen and read had led me to suppose that the 

 play of this grouse would be an excitable, confused performance very 

 different from the regular evolutions actually witnessed, and which I 

 have endeavored to set down here as accurately as possible. At this 

 date (April 18) the ball is opened by a single cock making a run across 

 the open space as fast as he can use his legs, the tail being inclined stiffly 

 over the back, while the wings are dragged, so that a large white area is 

 exposed behind. The vivid yellow supraciliary fringe is erected, and, all 



