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  GEOUSE 
  AND 
  WILD 
  TUKKEYS 
  OF 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  on 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  his 
  neck 
  until 
  they 
  look 
  like 
  small 
  oranges, 
  and 
  then 
  

   goes 
  through 
  a 
  droll 
  performance, 
  throwing 
  himself 
  forward 
  on 
  his 
  

   breast 
  and 
  plowing 
  along 
  the 
  ground 
  until 
  the 
  breast 
  feathers 
  are 
  

   almost 
  completely 
  worn 
  away. 
  The 
  hen 
  is 
  captivated 
  by 
  these 
  

   grotesque 
  antics, 
  and 
  in 
  due 
  time 
  chooses 
  a 
  mate 
  and 
  nests 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  

   depression 
  in 
  the 
  ground 
  under 
  the 
  shelter 
  of 
  a 
  bush, 
  where 
  she 
  lays 
  

   about 
  ten 
  olive-buff 
  eggs 
  with 
  chocolate 
  markings. 
  The 
  cock 
  leaves 
  

   her 
  before 
  incubation 
  begins, 
  and 
  in 
  about 
  three 
  weeks 
  the 
  chicks 
  are 
  

   out. 
  A 
  young 
  covey 
  roosts 
  in 
  a 
  circle 
  on 
  the 
  ground, 
  bobwhite- 
  

   fashion. 
  In 
  winter, 
  coveys 
  unite 
  in 
  packs 
  which 
  sometimes 
  number 
  

   a 
  hundred 
  or 
  more. 
  

  

  FOOD 
  HABITS. 
  

  

  The 
  feeding 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  sage 
  grouse 
  are 
  peculiar, 
  and 
  its 
  organs 
  

   of 
  digestion 
  are 
  unlike 
  those 
  of 
  other 
  grouse. 
  The 
  stomach 
  is 
  not 
  

   differentiated 
  into 
  a 
  powerful 
  grinding 
  gizzard, 
  but 
  is 
  a 
  thin, 
  weak, 
  

   membranous 
  bag, 
  resembling 
  the 
  stomach 
  of 
  a 
  raptorial 
  bird. 
  Such 
  

   an 
  organ 
  is 
  evidently 
  designed 
  for 
  the 
  digestion 
  of 
  soft 
  food, 
  and 
  we 
  

   find 
  that 
  the 
  bulk 
  of 
  the 
  sage 
  grouse's 
  diet 
  consists 
  of 
  leaves 
  and 
  

   tender 
  shoots. 
  A 
  stomach 
  collected 
  September 
  7, 
  1890, 
  in 
  Idaho, 
  by 
  

   Dr. 
  C. 
  Hart 
  Merriam, 
  contained 
  leaves 
  of 
  sage 
  and 
  other 
  plants, 
  

   seeds, 
  and 
  a 
  ladybird 
  beetle 
  (C 
  occinellidce) 
  . 
  Four 
  birds 
  shot 
  in 
  

   Wyoming 
  during 
  May 
  and 
  September 
  by 
  Vernon 
  Bailey 
  had 
  gorged 
  

   themselves 
  with 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  sagebrush 
  (Artemisia 
  tridentata). 
  

   This 
  and 
  other 
  sages, 
  including 
  A. 
  carta 
  and 
  A. 
  frigida, 
  furnish 
  the 
  

   bulk 
  of 
  the 
  food 
  of 
  the 
  sage 
  grouse. 
  Other 
  food 
  is 
  taken, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  

   comparatively 
  insignificant. 
  B. 
  H. 
  Dutcher, 
  formerly 
  of 
  the 
  Bio- 
  

   logical 
  Survey, 
  examined 
  a 
  stomach 
  which, 
  besides 
  sagebrush 
  leaves, 
  

   contained 
  seeds, 
  flowers, 
  buds 
  of 
  Rhus 
  trilobata, 
  and 
  ants 
  and 
  grass- 
  

   hoppers. 
  Three 
  birds 
  collected 
  by 
  Vernon 
  Bailey 
  on 
  September 
  5, 
  

   in 
  Wyoming, 
  had 
  varied 
  their 
  sagebrush 
  fare 
  with 
  ladybird 
  "beetles, 
  

   ground 
  beetles 
  (Carabidce), 
  fly 
  larvae, 
  ants, 
  moths, 
  grasshoppers 
  

   (Melanoplus 
  sp.), 
  and 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  asters 
  and 
  yarrow. 
  Of 
  two 
  birds 
  

   killed 
  in 
  May, 
  one 
  had 
  fed 
  wholly 
  on 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  sagebrush 
  (Arte- 
  

   misia 
  tridentata), 
  while 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  addition 
  had 
  taken 
  insect 
  galls 
  

   from 
  sagebrush 
  and 
  the 
  flowers 
  and 
  flower 
  buds 
  of 
  a 
  phlox 
  (Phlox 
  

   douglasii), 
  together 
  with 
  some 
  undetermined 
  seed 
  capsules, 
  pieces 
  of 
  

   moss, 
  and 
  several 
  ants. 
  A 
  third 
  bird, 
  killed 
  in 
  July, 
  had 
  eaten 
  a 
  

   few 
  plant 
  stems 
  and 
  numerous 
  grasshoppers. 
  

  

  Major 
  Bendire 
  writes 
  that 
  the 
  diet 
  of 
  the 
  sage 
  grouse 
  includes 
  

   grass 
  spikes, 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  leguminous 
  plants, 
  including 
  blossoms 
  and 
  

   pods 
  of 
  vetch 
  (Vicia) 
  and 
  astragalus; 
  also, 
  that 
  the 
  bird 
  eats 
  golden- 
  

   rod, 
  and 
  will 
  go 
  far 
  to 
  get 
  a 
  morning 
  feed 
  of 
  wheat. 
  He 
  notes 
  that 
  

   also 
  berries, 
  grasshoppers, 
  and 
  crickets 
  (Anabrus 
  simplex) 
  are 
  eaten. 
  

  

  a 
  Life 
  Hist. 
  N. 
  A. 
  Birds, 
  [I], 
  pp. 
  107-108, 
  1892. 
  

  

  