44 LIFE HISTORIES OP NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



wherever good-sized timber is found. South it ranges through British Cokim- 

 bia, Washington, Oregon, and the greater portion of Cahfornia, to about 

 latitude 35° (vicinity of Fort Tejon in the southern Sierra Nevada). East it is 

 found to the western slopes of the Bitter Root Mountains in Idaho, intergrad- 

 ing in the northern and central portions of this State with Denclragapus obscurus 

 richardsoni. It also occurs in western Nevada, and is fairly abundant in suit- 

 able localities throughout its range, at altitudes varying from 2,500 to 9,000 

 feet. It is a constant resident and breeds wherever found. All the Sooty 

 Grrouse from Alaska, and I presume from the Northwest coast generally, are 

 much darker, almost a sooty black, than specimens from eastern Washington 

 and Oregon, which resemble the Dusky Grouse much more in their general 

 coloration than the northern bird. 



Personally I have met with the Sooty Grouse in various sections of the 

 Pacific coast, such as Mount Kearsarge in Inj^o County, near- the headwaters of 

 the King and Kern Rivers, California, and in numerous localities in Oregon, 

 Washington, and Idaho. 



The following account of this species is taken from an article of mine pub- 

 lished in the Auk (Vol. vi), January, 1889: 



"I first met with the Sooty Grouse on Craig's Mountain, near Fort Lapwai, 

 Idaho, on the Nez Percd Indian Reservation, and was told by both trappers and 

 Indians that these birds did not remain there during the winter, in which belie£, 

 I consequently shared at that time. I was also told that when a covey had 

 been located in a tree, by being careful always to shoot the bird sitting lowest, 

 the whole lot might be successfully secured. This may be so, but somehow it 

 always failed with me; usually after the second shot, often even after the first, 

 and certainly at the third, the remaining birds took wing, and generally flew 

 quite a distance before alighting again, nearly always placing a deep canon 

 between themselves and me. 



"At Fort Lapwai, in the early fall of 1870 and of 1871, on two or 

 three occasions I found a few of these birds feeding with large packs 

 of the Sharp-tailed Grouse. This must, however, be considered an un- 

 usual behavior, as I never noticed it anywhere else subsequently, although 

 both species were equally abundant in other localities Avliere I met them fre- 

 quently in after years. The favorite locations to look for the Sooty Grouse 

 during the spring and summer are the sunny, upper parts of the foothills, 

 bordering on the heavier timbered portions of the moiintaius, among the scat- 

 tered pines and the various berry -bearing bushes found in such situations, and 

 along the sides of canons. According to my observations these birds are 

 scarcely ever found any distance within the really heavy timber. In the 

 middle of the day they can usually be looked for with success amongst the 

 deciduous trees and shrubbery found along the mountain streams in canons, 

 especially if there is an occasional pine or fir tree mixed amongst the former. 

 The cocks separate from the hens after incubation has commenced, I believe, 

 and keep in little companies, of from four to six, by themselves, joining the 



