154 FRANK SCHLEY'S PARTRIDGE AND PHEASANT SHOOTING. 



day during the winter, to obtain several birds by searching 

 carefully for them among the tree-tops of the tallest and 

 most thickly leaved firs. This requires much better eye- 

 sight than most men possess, for these birds are of a som- 

 bre hue, crowd very closely to the limb, and sit there im- 

 movable. They are therefore very difficult to find among 

 the dense branches. 



The first indication of their presence in the spring is the 

 courting call of the male. This is a prolonged sound, re- 

 sembling the whir of a rattan cane moved rapidly through 

 the air. This is repeated several times with considerable 

 rapidity, and then stops for a brief interval. This is said 

 to be produced by the alternate inflation and contraction 

 of sacs, one on each side of the throat, which are usually 

 concealed by the feathers, and are covered by an orange- 

 colored, thick, corrugated skin. At Fort Steilacoom these 

 birds were very abundant during the spring and early 

 summer, and were mostly confined to the forests of firs. 

 Later in the season, and after hatching, they are more gen- 

 erally found on the ground in search of berries and seeds. 

 When alarmed, they seek safety among the dense foliage 

 of the trees, seeming instinctively to understand the ad- 

 vantage of thus hiding. He has known an entire flock of 

 five, concealed among the ferns and grass, to be shot one 

 by one, without an attempt being made by a single indi- 

 vidual to fly. This Grouse is said to be a very fine table 

 bird, its pine taste only adding to its game-flavor. Their 

 full weight is from 2| to 3 pounds. 



Dr. Cooper never met with the nest of eggs of either of 

 the races of the Dusky Grouse, but in June flocks of half- 

 grown young were killed by the Indians near Puget 

 Sound. In winter they were so rarely seen west of the 

 mountains that they arc believed to keep entirely in the 

 trees. In October, 1853, he saw a flock running through 

 the snow near the Spokane Plains, one of which was shot ; 

 but he never afterwards met with any in the winter. 



Mr. J. K. Lord found this Grouse almost exclusively on 

 the western side of the Rocky Mountains. It appeared at 



