276 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 



the actions of a single cock while paying court to sev- 

 eral females near him. . . . His large, pale-yellow 

 air-sacs were fully inflated, and not only expanded for- 

 ward, but apparently upward as well, rising at least an 

 inch above his head, which, consequently, was scarcely 

 noticeable, giving the bird an exceedingly peculiar ap- 

 pearance. He looked decidedly top-heavy and ready to 

 topple over at the slightest provocation. The few long, 

 spiny feathers along the edges of the air-sacs stood 

 straight out, and the grayish white of the upper parts 

 showed in strong contrast with the black of the breast. 

 His tail was spread out fan-like, at right angles to the 

 body, and was moved from side to side with a slow, 

 quivering movement. The wings were trailing on the 

 ground. While in this position he moved around with 

 short, stately and hesitating steps, slowly and gingerly, 

 evidently highly satisfied with his performance, utter- 

 ing, at the same time, low, grunting, guttural sounds, 

 somewhat similar to the purring of a cat when pleased, 

 only louder. This was kept up for some ten minutes. 

 After having regained his usual attitude it was hard 

 to believe that this was the same bird I had seen but a 

 few minutes before." 



Mr. Frank Bond has described at some length a 

 hitherto unnoticed act of the male sage grouse, which 

 he witnessed in Wyoming. The bird, after inflating 

 its air-sacs, bent forward until its breast touched the 

 ground and pushed itself forward along the ground. 

 This action, carried on for days, seems to explain the 



