THE COLUMBIAN SIIAIIP-TAILED GltOUSE. 



99 



and central Oregon and Washington, south to northern Nevada and northeast- 

 ern California, along the eastern slopes of the Siskiyou Mountains. The latter, 

 ;is \vell as the eastern spurs of the Cascades, forms a barrier to its westward 

 extension in Oregon and Washington, and it is here, at Fort Klainath, Oregon, 

 that this bird reaches the most westerly point of its range. North it is found 

 throughout eastern British Columbia, on both sides of the Rocky Mountains, 

 and it has been taken as far north as Fort Yukon, Alaska. 



The habits of the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, also known as the 

 Spike-tail and the Prairie Chicken, are very similar to those of its eastern rela- 

 tive, P. phasianellns campestris. It is one of the most abundant and best known 

 game birds of the Northwest, inhabiting the prairie country to be found along 

 the foothills of the numerous mountain chains intersecting its range; seldom 

 venturing into the wooded portions for any distance, and then only during the 

 winter months, when it is partially migratory in certain sections. 



According to my own experience the Columbian Sharp-tail breeds more 

 frequently on the sheltered and sunny slopes of the grass-covered foothills 

 of the mountains than in the lower valleys and creek bottoms. At Fort 

 Lapwai, Idaho, this Grouse was exceedingly common about twenty years 

 ago, but it is much less so now. It then gathered into large packs during 

 the late fall and winter, frequently numbering two hundred and more. These 

 kept together until about the beginning of March, when they commenced 

 to break up. The "dancing" indulged in during the mating season, and which 

 will be fully described in the succeeding article, began at Fort Lapwai (the 

 only place where I had the opportunity of witnessing it) usually between the 

 1st and I Oth of March, and by the end of that month most of the birds were 

 paired and had selected their nesting sites. Nidification began usually from 

 about April If), to May 1, according to the season. I found a set of fifteen eggs, 

 which had been sat upon about a week or ten days, on April 22, 1871. 

 Some birds must have laid earlier still, as it was no uncommon sight to find 

 fully grown birds by July 10. All the nests of this species which I examined 

 were invariably well concealed and rather difficult to find. You might 

 search daily for a couple of weeks and be unsuccessful in finding a nest, 

 and again you might stumble on two or three on the same day. A bunch- 

 grass covered hillside, with a southerly exposure, seemed to be a favorite 

 nesting site with this Grouse at Fort Lapwai, while at Camp Harney, Ore- 

 gon, they confined themselves during the breeding season to the sage brush 

 covered plains of the Harney Valley, interspersed here and there with a 

 low grassy swale, nesting along the borders of these, where the grass attained a 

 heavier growth. 



The nest, like that of all the Grouse, is always placed on the ground, 

 usually close alongside some tall bunch of coarse grass, which hides it 

 completely from view. Even if it did not, the female harmonizes in color 

 so thoroughly with her surroundings that she is not apt to be noticed, unless 

 she should leave her nest, which she does not do very readily, as she is 



