76 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS— GROUSE 



gallinaceous birds, are protectively marked and rely- 

 upon concealment, they are seen more often than the 

 prairie grouse on the ground, or sitting on the wheat 

 shocks, and on frosty mornings sitting on the branches 

 of the trees which grow about the streams. They 

 stand high on their legs and cock up their pointed tails 

 like a wren, and present a singular appearance when 

 the long neck is outstretched, as it generally is when 

 on the lookout. In the slang of the day, they might be 

 termed "■ rubber-necks." Upon approaching the birds, 

 however, when they are thus visible, they disappear as 

 if by magic. Those sitting on the shocks fly away 

 or drop into the stubble ; the ** rubber-necks " are 

 shortened, the bodies fade out of sight. Although the 

 stubble or grass may be short and thin and you walk 

 directly to the place where the birds were seen a mo- 

 ment before and look carefully about, not a feather 

 will be visible. As you are about to step on a bird, 

 however, he bursts forth with a roar of wings, and flies 

 rapidly, usually clucking as do the prairie-grouse and 

 sage-cocks (tuck-a-tuck-tuck-tuck, repeated rapidly) as 

 if scolding you for the disturbance. Bestir yourself 

 rapidly if you would tumble the gray-cock into the 

 stubble. In an instant he will be out of range. 



Once, shooting with an Indian agent, we had 

 scattered a flock of sharp-tails, and as I approached 

 the spot where I had marked one, a bird went out and 

 I killed it, supposing it was the one marked down. 

 The agent called to me from the wagon that my bird 

 was a few feet farther on, and going to the place in- 

 dicated, I carefully looked about, without being able to 

 discover it. I was about to give it up, when I almost 



