58 



ORI^ITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-ISro. 4 



fresh, followed on the 4th by clear weather 

 and north-east wind. A single Robin Snipe seen 

 to-day; a few Sanderlings and Black-bellied 

 Plover still remain. June 8th, wind south- 

 west. The weather the da}' previous was very 

 stormy and brought along to-day several Great- 

 er Yellow-legs and Turnstones. Large num- 

 bers of Xight Herons begin to come on the 

 island at high tide. June 9th, cloudy, wind 

 south-west and blew fresh. Three Robin Snipe 

 and several Bonaparte Gulls observed ; Herring 

 Gulls remain in large numbers. June 10th. 

 wind north-east and south. First Least Tern 

 in young plumage seen to-day. June 14th. 

 wind east. First set of Least Tern's eggs 

 found to-day. June 1.5th, cloudy ; a bunch of 

 eleven Black-bellied Plover seen; Herring 

 Gull slightly diminishing in numbers. June 

 16th, wind east and south-east ; thick fog all 

 day. A number of Least Tern found building 

 on the high beach. June 17th, wind south-east 

 and south, rain and fog all day. Thick fog 

 brought in over the meadows quite a number 

 of Wilson's Petrel. Sheldrakes and Jaegars 

 noted. June 18th, wind north-west and weath- 

 er clear; only two Petrel seen. June 25th, 

 wind south-east, accompanied by light rains. 

 A small flock of Plover still remain on the flats. 

 Arctic Terns, which have not been seen foe some 

 time have now become more common. June 

 26th, wind south-west, clear. Saw a very large 

 Tern, evidently a Caspian or Royal, fl}' over, 

 but owing to distance could not identify for 

 certainty. June 28th, wind noith-east. A 

 Robin Snipe, adult female, was shot out of a 

 bunch of three ; a very late occurrence. June 

 30th, wind north-east and south-east, clear, 

 botany of the Limrole noticed to-day; Her- 

 ring Gulls still remain in numbers. 



The preceding notes only comprise the latter 

 part of the migration as the heiglit of the move- 

 ment transpires between the first and middle of 

 May. The birds were late this spring and only 

 a few stopped on the island and those for only 

 a brief time. There was a large flight of Phal- 

 arope about the 15th of May, and I was inform- 

 ed by a gunner that they flew back and forth 

 over the island and were so tame that they 

 could be caught alive from a boat. These 

 pretty little swimmers are reported in large 

 numbers by the fishermen who go out many 

 miles from land, who call them " Whale birds.'' 

 They are seen in large flocks sitting on the 

 water and will allow a boat to approach within 

 a few yards and when they fly it is for a short 

 distance away. 



The Pinnated Grouse in Colorado. 



BY CHAKLES F. MORRISON. 



Pinnated Grouse, (C. cnpido.) Not abundant 

 at this altitude but occurs in limited numbei'S 

 and breeds. Its western progress has not been 

 very definitely defined of late years. In Wy- 

 oming I found it in countless numbers at the 

 foot of the Big Horn Mountains, and here in 

 Colorado it occurs as above on the western side 

 of the Rockies, it is also reported in large num- 

 bers to the south along the state line of New 

 Mexico and Colorado. I am informed it has 

 only appeared here in the past three years, and 

 I can but feel sorry to see the way these birds 

 are killed oil", have seen a ranchman kill twelve 

 without moving from his tracks, and this in 

 August when the law was on. Birds of this 

 species when hunted much, do not tarry long at 

 sight of a man, but in isolated districts they 

 are quite tame, and will only flatten themselves 

 on the ground until nearly walked upon, and 

 their color makes it difiicult to discover them 

 even when you have them "marked down." I 

 have walked through as many as twenty and 

 my first intimation that they were there would 

 be the ivhir, whir, of their wings as they rose 

 and flew oft" with their hnk, hnl-, hul\ to alight 

 some quarter of a mile awa}'. There is consid- 

 erable satisfaction in obtaining S2)eciniens of 

 this familj^, first you get skins for your cabinet, 

 and secondly you are assured of a good sup- 

 per when you return to camp, a thing not 

 to be overlooked, nor lost sight of, when one 

 has been dieting on bacon and dry venison for 

 a few weeks. I never found this bird higher 

 than 9000 feet, it may occur higher in suitable 

 localities, but if so it must descend in severe 

 wpather to a lower altitude. In Wyoming it 

 was found up to 8000 feet, where it was re- 

 placed by the Dusky or Blue Grouse, (C. ob- 

 scwa.) It is a pretty hard sitter and will not 

 leave its nest except at the last moment. Once 

 in Wyoming I lifted the old bird off with my 

 hand, after poking her with a stick for some 

 time without effect, she would simjily peck at 

 my stick very much like an old family hen that 

 had been made much of. After- 1 had removed 

 her she flew a few yards away and tried that 

 old trick of feigning lameness. I have seen 

 them do this even when I was in the act of 

 blowing their eggs, which seemed most amus- 

 ing under the circumstances. I note a great 

 difference in some of their habits here and in 

 the north, there they live upon open prairie in 

 summer, only taking to the undergrowth of the 



