54 Wyoming Bxperiment Station. 



PHEASANTS, GROUSE, PARTRIDGES, 

 QUAILS, ETC. 



297. Dendragapus pbscurus (Say.). 

 ' Dusky Grouse. 



Resident and rather abundant. This admirable but un- 

 gamy bird lives in the forests only, or about open parks asso- 

 ciated with them. Its usual haunt is about spruce-clad canoiis 

 and ravines. It is seldom seen below 7,500 fee}; in Wyoming 

 and it is not uncommon at timber line. Of all the edible birds 

 of the west thi. and the following variety are the most desira- 

 ble. The flesh is '..' ^hly flavored, tender, juicy and as white 

 ■^s that of a tame fowl. They occupy practically the same place 

 ^summer and winter. I have seen them in January and February 

 about spruce groves where they also were in the early fall. 

 They are a foolish bird as a rule and not easily frightened. 

 When a covey lights in a tree one can easily kill them all if he 

 will shoot the lowest one first and kill them in order so that none 

 of the dead ones will fall and strike near the living birds. Al- 

 though they are very expert in hiding in the foliage of the 

 spruce ; yet they are easily hunted and it often happens than an 

 entire covey is killed. So far as investigations have gone this 

 species is found only in the southern half of Wyoming, the 

 northern limit of the range being the North Platte river and 

 westward on this meridian to the Idaho line. I have taken 

 the Dusky Grouse in the Laramie, Shirley, Seminoe, Ferris. 

 Medicine Bow, Sierre Madre and along the Uinta mountains. 

 They have been reported by all of the collectors of Wyoming^ 

 birds. 



297 b. Dendragapus obscurus richardsonii (Dougl.). 

 Richardson's Grouse. 



This variety replaces the Dusky Grouse in the northern 



half of Wy9ming, and they are very similar to them in every 



respect. I have taken these birds on the Teton, Wind River, 



Shoshone, Absaraka, and Big Horn mountains, where they are 



