TKTRAONID.E — THE GUOUSE. 437 



birils arc fiit niul tender, and as they fall on the grassy pi-airie scatter 

 their feathers, as if torn to j)ieces. 



vVccordiiig to Dr. Suckkn', the Sliarp-tailed (Irouso entirely replaces tiio 

 Pinnated (tronse in Washington Territory. He first noticed it near old Fort 

 Union, at the nioutli of the ^'cllowstone IJiver. From tiiat i)oint to the 

 Cascade Mountains of (Jregon and "NVasIiington Territoiy it was exci'cdingly 

 abundant wherever there was ojion country and a sufliciency of food. In 

 certain jdaces they were in great nundiers in tlie autumn, congregating in 

 large tlocks, esjiecially in the vicinity of patches of wild ry(>, ami more re- 

 cently near settknuents where there were wheat-stulililes. They reseml)le the 

 riimated (Jrouse in hal)its. "Where they are numerous, they may freciuently 

 be found, on cold mornings in tiu; autumn or early winter, perched (Ui fences 

 or on leallcss trees, sunning themselves in the early suidight. At Fort Dallas 

 a young bird, scarcely two days old, was found on the first of A[»ril. This 

 early incubation seems to prove that they must have more than one brood 

 in a season. The young (irouse was confided to tlic charge of a Hen witii a 

 brood of young cliickens ; but it refused to as.sociate with them, and esciiped, 

 probably to ju'risii of cold. Dr. Cooper adds that this (irouse is I'ound in 

 Wasliington Territory only in the low alluvial ]irairics of the streams enii)ty- 

 ing into the Cidumbia east of tiie Ca.scade Mountains, where it was 

 found in fiocks of several hundreds. Tiicy shun high grounds and forests 

 entirely. The only cry he ever heard them utter was a cackle when sud- 

 denly started from the ground. Their wings make a loud whirring, as among 

 others of this fanuly. 



Mr. J. Iv. Lord found this species abundantly distributed on the western 

 slope of the IJocky Mountains, ranging rigiit and left of the 49th j)arallcl. 

 It was i>articnlarly innnerous on the i)lains near the Kootanie Uiver, round 

 the O.soyoos Lakes, and in the valley of the Cidumbia. He did not meet 

 with any on the western side of the Cascade Kange. It is also found in the 

 Ked River settlements and in Northern Minnesota. 



Mr. Elliot is quite in error in stating that this Crou.se does not occur cast 

 of the ^rississi])])i as it is found nearly throughout Xorthern Illinois and 

 Southern Wisconsin. 1 iiavc seen a Hock within thirty miles of Chicago, 

 and have from time to time had their eggs from Dane County, Wisconsin. 



Mr. Lord regards this Grouse as remarkable both for its field cpialitics — 

 such as lying well to a dog, rising with a loud rattling whir, fre(piciiting open 

 gra.s.sy ju'airics, and Hying as straiglit as an arrow — and for its excellence as 

 a table dainty. For didicacy of llavor its llesii is uneipudled. With the fur- 

 traih'rs this species is known as the Sjiottcd Chicken, and is, furthermore, the 

 ^V.•/.s-/l■/// of the Kootanie Iiulians. Its singular <'ondiinat ion of cohns — wliite, 

 black, and brownish-yellow — makes it exactly i .•.scnd)le thegriMind on which 

 it lives, and admirably harmonizes witii the dead twigs and h'aves of the ar- 

 temisia, the dry and sandy soil, the brown of the withered buuch-gr.i.ss, and 

 the sombre-colored lichens of tiu^ rocks. It often requin^s a keen and prac- 



