American Game 35 



as far south as Mono county. They are the largest of 

 the American grouse, weighing from five to six pounds. 

 Columbian sharp-tailed grouse are found only in the 

 northeastern part of the state. They lie well to dogs. 



Wilson's snipe are found in favored places through- 

 out the low parts of the state in winter, and a few breed 

 in the subalpine marshes of the Sierra Nevadas, north 

 of thirty-eight degrees. 



Band-tailed pigeon are of irregular occurrence in 

 winter in most parts of the state below the snow belt. 

 A few breed in the Sierra Nevadas as far south as the 

 Yosemite valley ; in the Coast Range, as far south as the 

 southern part of Monterey county. Sometimes these 

 birds are very palatable, at other times very unpala- 

 table, according to their food. 



The mourning dove is very abundant in the settled 

 parts of the state ; it is about the only upland game in 

 California in summer. Large flocks spend the winter 

 as far north as Butte county. In all parts of the state 

 they are more abundant in summer than in winter. 



Water-fowl and marsh birds are very abundant along 

 the coast and in the marshes. Geese begin to arrive 

 from the north early in September, but are not abun- 

 dant until about the middle of October. During the 

 last half of October and later, geese may be seen by 

 the million every day in Butte county. When they 

 first arrive they are lean, but they soon become fat 

 from feeding on wheat which was lost in harvesting. 



Black brant shooting was excellent in San Diego bay 

 until recently. 



The duck of California do not differ much from 

 those of the Atlantic coast, though there are two kinds 



