THE NORTH AMERICAN GROUSE 61 



for the reason that the differences are in color. Were 

 the pictures made in color there would necessarily be 

 many of them, since the sub-species intergrade and all 

 the specimens in a collection might be different. 



Discarding the sub-species, there remain three grouse 

 of the open country : the prairie-grouse, the sharp- 

 tailed grouse, and the sage-grouse; and four grouse 

 of the woods and mountains : the ruffed-grouse, the 

 Canada or Spruce-grouse, the blue- or dusky-grouse, 

 and the ptarmigan, which turns white in winter. 



The grouse of the open country all lie well to the 

 dog until late in the year, and seldom fly to the trees. 

 The grouse of the woods and mountains are all given 

 to flying to the trees, and are often shot from the 

 branches. The flesh of the wood-grouse is usually 

 light ; that of the grouse of the open country is darker. 



In some of the States the season for shooting the 

 grouse of the open country commences in August. 

 This is a month too early, since many of the birds have 

 then an immature flight and go fluttering out of the 

 grass or stubble with a speed not much better than 

 that of the rails, presenting marks which in no way 

 test the skill of the sportsman. It is, too, excessively 

 hot on the prairies in August and so dry and dusty 

 that the dogs have great difficulty in finding and 

 pointing the game and often suffer from thirst. On 

 the high plains of the Northwest the temperature is 

 better, and the many small lakes and ponds furnish 

 water for the dogs. The opening day for grouse in 

 Scotland is August I2th, and this date would do for 

 North Dakota, Montana, and Manitoba. I have had 

 many good days in Dakota and Montana in the latter 



