TO YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 85 
100, CENTROCERCUS UROPIASIANUS, (Bp.) Sw. 
SAGE GROUSE. 
We first saw this specios near Wolf Point on the Missouri, where several were started from 
the river-bottom by the passage of the steamboat. On Box Elder Creek, where we remained in 
camp for several days late in July, they were extremely numerous, and broods of young were seen 
of all ages, from the little chicks that could fly but a few feet to the large strong-winged birds 
that almost equaled their parents in weight. AIl were painfully ignorant of the effect of fire-arms, 
and I have seen a brood of ten or a dozen well-grown birds walk quietly along before two men who 
were tryivg to shoot their heads off with rifles, until half their number had been killed. At each 
report, they would stretch up their necks and gaze around as if a little curious to find out whence 
the noise proceeded and what it meant, and would then move leisurely on toward the hills, feeding 
as they went. If, however, a ball touched, but did not fatally wound or cripple a-bird, and it rose 
or fluttered about on the ground, the whole flock took the alarm and were off without delay. 
About Box Elder, they seemed to pass the night on the uplands, coming down to the water 
morning and evening, and retiring to the higher ground before the sun became hot in the morning, 
and just about sunset in the evening. The young, even when nearly full grown, utter a plaintive 
peeping cry, which has the peculiar effect of appearing to come from a long distance off, even 
though the bird may be quite close at hand. 
When seen during the summer, the birds were, of course, in families; but on our return march 
in September, they had commenced collecting together, and packs of from thirty to fifty individuals 
were several times seen. 
101. PEDIGECETES PHASIANELLUS COLUMBIANUS, (Ord.) Goues. 
SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. 
I saw this species only on the plains, a state of things which somewhat surprised me; for, 
although, of course, essentially a prairie bird, 1 found it during the summer of 1874 in great num- 
bers among the Black Hills of Dakota. They were more numerous on Box Elder Creek than at 
any other point; and indeed they seem to prefer streams which have a wide bottom overgrown 
with rose-bushes and other shrubs, on the fruit of which they feed. The young birds were from 
one-half to two-thirds grown late in July. 
During our passage down the Missouri River, we often saw this species on the dry sand-bars 
that dotted the river, rolling and dusting themselves in the sand. I did not see these birds roosting 
on trees until about September 10, at which time the weather at night was quite cold. 
102. BONASA UMBELLUS UMBELLOIDES, (Linn.) Baird. 
Rocky MountvAIN RUFFED GROUSE. 
Although this species was said to be extremely abundant in the Yellowstone Park, we saw 
very few of them, not twenty in all. In habits, they seem to resemble almost exactly the eastern 
variety. A female, with six or eight young only about a week old, was seen August 19. The 
young, instead of hiding, flew into the lowest branches of a dead pine, a distance of three or four 
feet, which they just managed to accomplish, while the female fluttered about at my feet as if in 
the death agony. I had not the heart to molest the charming little family, and after watching 
them for a short time I moved off, leaving them to their own devices. 
CHARADRITD. 
103. AIGIALITIS VOCIFERUS, (Linn.) Bp. 
KILLDEER PLOVER. 
Abundant, breeding on the plains near water. 
