224 GAME. 



' COCK OF THE PLAINS/ 



Tetrao (centrocercus) urophasianus. 



This noble bird has been doubly unfortunate in its name. 

 Audubon, in giving it the above name, intended, doubtless, 

 to signify his appreciation of the size and beauty of the 

 bird. It was, however, a most unfortunate selection of 

 title in that it did not catch the popular taste (Avhich no 

 sportsman can wonder at). Had he called it the ' grey 

 cock,' or ' sage cock,' or even the ' plains cock,' his 

 name would probably have been adopted; but the 

 frontiersman is too economical of speech to adopt any 

 such nomenclature as that bestowed, and the consequence 

 is that the finest grouse in America is commonly, almost 

 universally, known as the ' sage hen.' 



As the Pacific Railroad has put these grouse within 

 reach of sportsmen, I propose to do a favour to them by 

 proposing a change of name. ' Sage grouse ' is most appro- 

 priate. While in no sense a mountain bird, this grouse is 

 a lover of high altitudes, being, I think, never found below 

 3,000 feet above the sea level, and flourishing most 

 abundantly on the very high mesas and slopes on the first 

 plain, 8,000 or 10,000 feet above tide water, where he 

 gains his greatest preponderance in size and beauty of 

 plumage. 



He varies very greatly in size in different localities, 

 the best cocks of some sections being but three or four 

 pound birds, while in other sections they will weigh 

 eight, ten, or even more pounds. 



The habits of this grouse are almost identical with 

 those of the common barn-yard fowl. They go in packs 

 at all seasons of the year. In the early spring, in April 

 or May, depending on altitude, the hen makes her nest 

 in the same way and in some such cover as the domestic 

 hen would select, and steals away daily to deposit an egg. 



