PHEASANT-TAILED GROUSE. 107 



river until we reach Wallah Wallah, on the banks of the Columbia, near the 

 mouth of Lewis river. This bird is only found on the plains which produce 

 the worm-wood [Artemisia), on which plant it feeds, in consequence of 

 which the flesh is so bitter that it is rejected as food. It is very unsuspicious, 

 and easily approached, rarely flies unless hard pressed, runs before you at the 

 distance of a few feet, clucking like the common hen, often runs under the 

 horses of travellers when disturbed, rises very clumsily, but when once 

 started, flies with rapidity to a great distance, and has the sailing motion of 

 the Pinnated Grouse. In the autumn they frequent the branches of the 

 Columbia river, where they feed on a narrow-leaved plant. At this time 

 they are considered good food by the natives, who take great quantities of 

 them in nets. J. K. Townsend." 



"On the north branch of the Platte (Larimie's Fork) we begin to meet 

 with the Tetrao Urophasianus in considerable numbers, always on the 

 ground in small flocks or pairs, by no means shy, but when too nearly 

 approached arising with a strong whirring noise, and uttering at the same 

 time a rather loud but very short alarmed guttural cackle. The notes of the 

 female indeed, at such times, almost resemble those of a common hen. The 

 old male, when killed by Mr. Townsend, turned out so different from the 

 imperfect and unadult specimens figured, that we could scarcely recognise it 

 for the same species. Its size seemed to promise a fine meal, but appearances 

 are often deceitful, and after being nicely broiled, it truly deserved to be 

 treated like the well prepared plate of cucumbers, proving so very bitter, 

 though delicately white, that our hungry hunters could scarcely swallow 

 more than a morsel. In short, it feeds by choice on the bitterest shrubs of 

 these sterile plains, and under-wood (several species of Artemisia) is literally 

 its favourite food. Of its nest and breeding habits we ascertained nothing, 

 but cannot for a moment hesitate to say that some mistake must exist in 

 either asserting or supposing that a bird so constantly confined to the open 

 desert plains, could retire to the shady forests and dark alluvial thickets of 

 the Columbia to rear its young apart from their usual food and habits. We 

 met with this very fine Grouse near to the plains around Wallah Wallah, on 

 the south side of the Columbia, but never saw it either in the forests of the 

 Columbia or the Wahlamet, nor, so far as we know, has it ever been found on 

 the coast of California, or in the interior of Mexico. T. Nuttall." 



Mr. Douglas's statement is as follows: — "The flight of these birds is slow, 

 unsteady, and affords but little amusement to the sportsman. From the dis- 

 proportionately small, convex, thin-quilled Aving, — so thin that a vacant space 

 half as broad as a quill appears between each, — the flight may be said to be 

 a sort of fluttering, more than any thing else: the bird giving two or three 

 claps of the wings in quick succession, at the same time hurriedly rising; 



