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CHAPTEE XVII. 



THE GAME BIRDS OF THE PLAINS, VIZ.: 



THE ' COCK OF THE PLAINS 'DUSKY GROUSE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE RUFFED 

 GROUSE PINNATED GROUSE WILD TURKEY ROCK PARTRIDGE QUAIL, 

 AND OTHER BIRDS. 



IT is not to the rifleman alone that the plains offer 

 facilities for glorious sport. The lover of the shot-gun 

 can find his opportunities. Almost everywhere at the 

 proper season can small game be found in greater or less 

 numbers. Among these, the first, not in size but in the 

 sport they yield, is the grouse. There are on the plains 

 or foot hills of the mountains no less than five varieties 

 of the grouse : 



1. 'Cock of the Plains' Tetrao (centrocercus) 



urophasianus. 



2. Dusky Grouse Tetrao obscurus. 



3. Sharp-tailed Grouse Tetrao (centrocercus) 



Phasianellus. 



4. Buff Grouse Tetrao umbellus. 



5. Pinnated Grouse. 



I do not propose to enter into a detailed description of 

 these birds. This can be obtained from any recent 

 standard work on ornithology. I shall confine my re- 

 marks to such peculiarities of each as I think are not 

 generally known. 



