90 Tpie Wilson Bulletin— No. 83. 



could not fly, and thus became an easy prey to the wolves, 

 foxes, wild cats, minks, etc., which exterminated almost the 

 entire race." Like weather conditions may have prevailed 

 in Iowa, and a similar disaster may have overtaken the Wild 

 Turkey ; if so, its story has not survived their disappearance. 



NOTES ON THE SAGE HEN. 



BY S. S. VISHER. 



[State Geological and Biological Survey, University of South 

 Dakota. Vermilion, S. D.] 



The Sage Grouse {Centroccrcns urophasianus) is in many 

 respects one of the most interesting- of the birds of many 

 T)ortions of the west. The cock is almost as large as a hen 

 turkey, so he is big enough to attract anyone's attention. All 

 grouse are wonderfully effectively colored from the stand- 

 point of protection. Some, of which the sage hen is one, 

 have so much confidence in their invisibility that they have 

 been dubbed '" Fool Hens," because they allow such close ap- 

 proach. It is astonishing how completely hidden a sage chick 

 can be, even on bare ground. Many a time I have come 

 upon a mother walking conspicuously along with her brood. 

 When she flew they would squat low on the short grass and 

 disappear from sight. It is a mighty good test of acuteness 

 of observation to then try to find all the young. Perhaps 

 some may be located quite easily, but others, " in plain sight." 

 will not be seen until they fly almost from under one's feet. 



As the name implies, sage hens are found in areas where 

 the sage brush (chiefly Artemesia tridentata) is abundant. 

 Formerly they were found in many sections of western South 

 Dakota and westward. The last ones recorded from this 

 state, except in the northwestern corner, were found in Sage 

 Creek in the Badlands in 1907. By 1910 all were gone ex- 

 cept those in Harding and Butte Counties. Now (1913), 

 after three more years of homesteading. Sage Grouse are 

 restricted in this state to the Little Missouri Valley in Hard- 

 ing County and to the headwaters of Indian Creek in Butte. 



