24 BULLETIN FERGUS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 



281. MOUNTAIN PLOVER. Podasocys montanus. 



The mountain plover is a regular resident of the prairies in this 

 locality, and is doubtless found in most parts of the county. Dr. J. A. Allen 

 found it in the neighborhood of the Musselshell, and Dr. Coues met with 

 it throughout most of northern Montana. It generally appears in this lo- 

 cality in the last week of May, taking its place on the prairies with the 

 long-billed curlew, McCown's longspur, and western meadowlark, though 

 in far less numbers than any of its associates. Its nesting is well-known to 

 many of the ranchers, but it has not been my fortune to chance upon its 

 home. The mountain plover generally disappears by the first of Septem- 

 ber, but is frequently seen later, usually in small flocks which are formed 

 preparatory to the fall migration. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts grayish-brown, irregularly 

 tinged with dull yellowish; under parts dull white, frequently tinged with 

 yellowish on the breast; length 8-9 inches. 

 297b. RICHARDSON'S GROUSE. Dendragapus obscurus richardsonii. 



This species is the common "blue grouse" of the mountains in the 

 western and south-western portions of the county. It is also found gen- 

 erally in the Moccasins and in the Judith Mountains. In the early part of 

 June, 1901, a friend reported a nest in the North Moccasins, made beside 

 a fallen log in the woods, containing seven eggs. The nest was constructed 

 of a few dried leaves and pine needles. The female, when disturbed by 

 the observer, showed little alarm and merely moved aside a few steps while 

 he was near the nest. 



On Oct. 5, 1902, a fine specimen of this grouse, which had flown into 

 town and had been killed by striking itself against a porch of a house, 

 was brought to me. On Oct. 25, 1902, while in the Big Snowy Mountains, 

 I took a pair of these grouse, whose crops were full of buffalo-berries. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts brownish gray or bluish gray, 

 tail darker; lower parts dark bluish gray varied with white; length 19-23 

 inches. Easily identified by its twenty tail-feathers. 



300b. GRAY RUFFED GROUSE. Bonasa umbeilus umbelloides. 



A common resident of the wooded localities, generally inhabiting the 

 coulees in the vicinity of the water-courses. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts mottled with black, brown, and 

 gray, the rump and upper tail coverts marked with heart-shaped spots of 

 dull gray; tail barred with gray and black, with a broader band near the 

 end; black neck-tufts; lower parts varied white and yellowish-brown; 

 length 15-19 inches. Commonly known as pheasant. 



308a. COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. Pedioecetes phasian- 



ellus columbianus. 



A very common resident of the prairie regions and the foot-hills, 

 preferring the ranches and the hillsides near the water-courses. During 

 the coldest weather of winter these grouse congregate in large flocks, re- 

 sorting to the timber in the creek bottoms and coulees. They are gre- 

 garious until toward the end of April, when the pairs begin to look forward 



