Grouse of the Northern Cattle Plains 105 



in such cases will lie close to the ground when ap- 

 proached; but more often it is found in the short 

 grass where there is no cover at all to speak of, and 

 relies upon its speed for its safety. It is a comical- 

 looking beast with its huge ears and long legs, and 

 runs very fast, with a curious lop-sided gait, as if 

 it was off its balance. After running a couple of 

 hundred yards it will generally stop and sit up erect 

 on its haunches to look round and see if it is pur- 

 sued. In winter it turns snow-white except that the 

 tips of the ears remain black. The flesh is dry, and 

 I have never eaten it unless I could get nothing else. 



Jack-rabbits are not plentiful enough or valuable 

 enough to warrant a man's making a hunting trip 

 solely for their sakes ; and the few that I have shot 

 have been killed with the rifle while out after other 

 game. They offer beautiful marks for target prac- 

 tice when they sit upon their haunches. But though 

 hardly worth powder they afford excellent sport 

 when coursed with greyhounds, being very fleet, and 

 when closely pressed able to double so quickly that 

 the dogs shoot by them. For reasons already given, 

 however, it is difficult to keep sporting dogs on the 

 plains, though doubtless in the future coursing with 

 greyhounds will become a recognized Western sport. 



This finishes the account of the small game of the 

 northern cattle country. The wild turkey is not 

 found with us; but it is an abundant bird further 

 south, and eagerly followed by the ranchmen in 

 whose neighborhood it exists. And as it is easily 

 the king of all game birds, and as its pursuit is a 



