438 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tised eye to distinguish one of these birds from the ground on which it has 

 fallen, even though the eye he kept on the spot where it was seen to fall. 

 Tliis similarity of colors with those of the prairie no doubt effectually con- 

 ceals tliem from tlie hawks and owls. 



Its favorite haunt is on open grassy plains in the morning, keeping con- 

 cealed in tiie long thick gra.ss, coming about midday to the stream to drink, 

 and to dust itself in the sandy banks. It s(^1dom goes into the timber, al- 

 ways remains close to the prairie, and never retires into the depth of the 

 forests. It lays its eggs on the open prairie in a tuft of grass, or near the 

 foot of a small hillnck, nesting early in spring, and depositing from twelve 

 to fourteen eggs. Tin nest is a mere hole scratched in the earth, with a few 

 grass-stalks and root-fil»res laid careles.sly and loosely over the bottom. ]Mr. 

 Lord describes the egg,s as of a diirk rusty-brown, with suuiU splashes or 

 speckles of darker brown thickly spattered over them. 



After nesting-time they ai)pear in broods about the middle of August, the 

 young birds being about two thirds grown. At this time they frequent the 

 margins of small streams wlicre tliere is thin timber and underbru.sh. After 

 the middle of Sejjtember tliey begin to pack, two or three coveys getting to- 

 gether, and flock after ilouk joining until they accumulate into Innidreds. On 

 the first appearance of snow they begin to percii on tiie dead branches of 

 a pine or on the tops of i'encos. Near Fort Colville, alter snow fell, 'hey 

 assembled in vast numl)ers in tiie large wheat-stubbles. They became wary 

 and shy, the snow rendering every moving thing so consiiicuous that it was 

 next to inipo.ssiblc for dogs to hunt them. 



The food of this (Irouse consists i)rincipally of berries in the summer 

 months, such as the snowberry, the bearberry, the haws of the wild rose, 

 and the whortleberry, grain, tlie larvaj of insects, grass-seeds, etc. In the 

 winter tiiey run over the snow with ease and celerity, dig holes in it, and 

 burrow underneath in the manner of a Ptarmigiin. During the two win- 

 ters ]\Ir. Lord spent at Colville, flocks of these birds congregated around the 

 hayricks at their mulc-canip. In a temperature often 30" and more below 

 zero, and the snow several I'eet deep, they were strong, fat, and wild, and did 

 not appear to sutler at all from the intense cold. Indeeil, they are said to , 

 ])air very early in the spring, long before the snow has gone off the groimd, 

 and tiieir meeting is jirccedei' by some very singular performances, which 

 are called by the fur-traders chicken-dances, to .several of which ]\Ir. Lord 

 was an eyewitness, (iroujw of tlmse l)irds assemble for tlieir dances either 

 al)out sunrise or late in the afternoon, selecting for the purpose a high round- 

 topjjcd mound, which in the course of their evolutions becomes worn (juite 

 bare. At one of the diinces witnessed by Mr. Lord there were altout twenty 

 birds present ; the birds nearest him were head to head, like gamecocks in 

 lighting attitude, — ^tlie neck-feat liers rulTed up, tlie little sharp tail elevated 

 slraigiit on end, liie wings dropped close to tlie ground, liut keeping up a 

 r.'ipid vibration or continued drumming sound. They circled round and 



