SHOOTING THE PRAIRIE GROUSE 419 



by a white chalk-like bluff, some two miles to the right 

 of our trail, which I visited and examined. Near it 

 was a warm spring, which came out of the hillside, and, 

 spreading over the prairie, kept a few acres green and 

 fresh, strongly contrasting with the universal brown of 

 the landscape. In this little oasis I found some, to me, 

 new flowers, many reptiles, and a considerable number 

 of sharp-tailed grouse, of which I killed several, the 

 whole presenting attractions sufficiently strong as we 

 were to remain in camp one day to take me over there 

 next morning. I had filled my plant-case with flowers, 

 had obtained frogs, and snakes, and chalky infusorial 

 earth enough to load down the boy who accompanied 

 me, and had enjoyed a fine morning's sport, dropping 

 as many grouse on the prairies as we could conveniently 

 carry. Following up the little stream toward the spring 

 on the hillside, a dry, treeless surface, with patches of 

 sage brush (Artemisia tridentata) , I was suddenly 

 startled by a great flutter and rush, and a dark bird, 

 that appeared to me as large as a turkey, rose from the 

 ground near me, and uttering a hoarse hek Tick, flew off 

 with an irregular but remarkably well-sustained course. 

 "I was just then stooping to drink from the little 

 stream, and quite unprepared for game of any kind, 

 least of all for such a bird, evidently a grouse, but so 

 big and black, so far exceeding all reasonable dimen- 

 sions, that I did not think of shooting him, but stood 

 with open eyes, and, doubtless, open mouth, eagerly 

 watching his flight to mark him down. But stop he 

 did not so long as I could see him, now flapping, 



