THE SAGE GEOUSE. 100 



His tail was spread otit fan-like, at right angles from the body, and was moved 

 from side to side with a slow quivering movement. The wings were trailing on 

 the ground. While in this position he moved around with short, stately, and 

 hesitating steps, slowly and gingerly, evidently highly satisfied with his per- 

 formance, uttering, at the same time, low, grunting, guttural sounds, somewhat 

 similar to the purring of a cat when pleased, only louder. This was kept up 

 for some ten minutes. After having regained his usual attitude it was hard to 

 believe that this was the same bird I had seen but a few minutes before. 



During the winter the birds pack, and I have more than once seen 

 from fifty to a hundi-ed together. By the 10th of March they are already 

 pretty well scattered, and many are paired by this time. In the vicinity of 

 Camp Harney nidification usually begins about the middle of April. I have 

 found a full set of nine slightly incubated eggs of this species on April 7, 

 1877, and the first egg must have been laid before March 25. Fresh speci- 

 mens Avere also taken by me as late as June 2, probably a second laying, 

 the first having been destroyed. But one brood is raised in a season. 



The nest is always placed on the ground, in a slight depression, usually 

 under the shelter of a small sage bush. I have found several, however, 

 some little distance from sage brush flats, alongside and sheltered by a bunch 

 of tall rye grass (Elymtis condensatusf), near the borders of small creeks. 

 The nest is usually very poorly lined, and in fact the eggs frequently lay 

 on the bare ground without any lining whatever, and are often found in 

 quite exposed situations. I found such a one on May 11, 1875. My notes 

 read as follows: "I stumbled accidentally on this nest. It was placed within 

 a yard of a much-used Indian trail, in a very exposed position, so much so 

 that I SHw the eggs while still 5 yards off". There really was no nest, simply 

 a mere depression scratched out by the bird on the south side of a very 

 small sage bush, which afforded no concealment or protection from vain what- 

 ever. The bush itself was not over a foot and a half high, growing on a 

 rocky plateau about 3 miles east of Camp Harney- A few feathers were 

 scattered among the eggs which laid on tlia bare ground, and were separated 

 from each other by bits of grass and dry leaves of the sage. One of the 

 eggs was nearly covered with dirt and almost buried out of sight. The set 

 contained eight eggs, and these were nearly hatched. They were cold when 

 found, and the nest had evidently been abandoned for some days." 



As a rule the Sage Hen is a very close sitter, and is loath to leave her 

 nest at any time. I have almost stepped on them before they would quit 

 their eggs. 



Capt. William L. Carpenter, U. S. Army, writes me: "I found a nest at 

 Fort Bridger, Wyoming, where this species is numerous, June 1, with nine 

 fresh eggs. I was standing alongside a sage bush watching butterflies; sev- 

 eral times looking down carelessly without seeing anything unusal, when 

 happening again to glance at the foot of the bush, in the very place before 

 observed, I saw the winking of an eye. Looking more intently a grayish 



