﻿DUSKY 
  GROUSE. 
  41 
  

  

  THE 
  DUSKY 
  GROTTSE. 
  

  

  (Dendragapus 
  obscurus.)® 
  

  

  The 
  dusky, 
  or 
  blue, 
  grouse 
  lives 
  mainly 
  in 
  coniferous 
  forests 
  of 
  the 
  

   western 
  mountain 
  ranges, 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains 
  from 
  

   New 
  Mexico, 
  Arizona, 
  and 
  Colorado, 
  north 
  to 
  Canada 
  and 
  Alaska, 
  

   and 
  west 
  to 
  the 
  Pacific 
  coast. 
  These 
  grouse 
  are 
  large, 
  plainly 
  colored 
  

   birds, 
  mainly 
  of 
  a 
  slaty 
  or 
  dusky 
  shade. 
  In 
  unfrequented 
  forests 
  

   they 
  are 
  so 
  unsophisticated 
  that 
  they 
  often 
  perch 
  on 
  a 
  low 
  branch 
  and 
  

   gaze 
  curiously 
  at 
  an 
  intruder 
  until 
  struck 
  by 
  a 
  stone 
  or 
  stick. 
  From 
  

   their 
  unsuspicious 
  nature 
  they 
  are 
  known 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  West, 
  like 
  

   the 
  previous 
  species, 
  as 
  fool-hens. 
  While 
  commonly 
  habitants 
  of 
  the 
  

   higher 
  forests, 
  they 
  often 
  descend 
  to 
  lower 
  levels 
  on 
  the 
  mountain 
  

   sides 
  where 
  deciduous 
  trees 
  and 
  bushes 
  mingle 
  with 
  the 
  conifers. 
  

  

  The 
  dusky 
  grouse 
  is 
  a 
  valuable 
  food 
  bird 
  and 
  weighs 
  from 
  2^ 
  to 
  

   3^ 
  pounds. 
  Wilbur 
  C. 
  Knight 
  says 
  : 
  h 
  

  

  Of 
  all 
  the 
  edible 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  west 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  following 
  variety 
  [Richard- 
  

   son's 
  grouse] 
  are 
  the 
  most 
  desirable. 
  The 
  flesh 
  is 
  highly 
  flavored, 
  tender, 
  juicy, 
  

   and 
  as 
  white 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  a 
  tame 
  fowl. 
  

  

  The 
  flavor 
  of 
  a 
  game 
  bird's 
  flesh 
  is 
  often 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  character 
  

   of 
  its 
  diet, 
  as 
  is 
  the 
  case 
  with 
  the 
  blue 
  grouse 
  after 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  feeding 
  

   on 
  the 
  pitchy 
  foliage 
  of 
  conifers. 
  " 
  The 
  use 
  of 
  such 
  food 
  imparts 
  to 
  

   the 
  flesh 
  of 
  these 
  birds," 
  says 
  Major 
  Bendire, 
  " 
  a 
  strong 
  resinous 
  

   flavor, 
  not 
  particularly 
  relished 
  by 
  me 
  at 
  first." 
  c 
  Baird, 
  Brewer, 
  and 
  

   Ridgway, 
  however, 
  state 
  that 
  the 
  pine 
  taste 
  only 
  improves 
  the 
  bird's 
  

   gamy 
  flavor.** 
  Yernon 
  Bailey 
  states 
  that 
  half-grown 
  young 
  of 
  the 
  

   blue 
  grouse 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  feeding 
  largely 
  on 
  gooseberries 
  were 
  

   excellent 
  eating, 
  being 
  entirely 
  free 
  from 
  pitchiness. 
  George 
  B. 
  

   Grinnell, 
  editor 
  of 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  notes 
  that 
  a 
  diet 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  

   species 
  of 
  red 
  whortleberry 
  also 
  makes 
  the 
  flesh 
  delicious. 
  e 
  

  

  As 
  an 
  object 
  of 
  sport 
  the 
  blue 
  grouse 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  front 
  rank 
  of 
  game 
  

   birds, 
  even 
  though 
  it 
  spends 
  much 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  coniferous 
  for- 
  

   ests. 
  It 
  lies 
  well 
  to 
  the 
  dog, 
  flies 
  swiftly, 
  and 
  affords 
  shots 
  in 
  heavy 
  

   timber 
  that 
  test 
  the 
  sportsman's 
  highest 
  skill. 
  

  

  a 
  In 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  common 
  dusky 
  grouse 
  (Dendragapus 
  obscurus) 
  of 
  the 
  

   Rocky 
  Mountains 
  from 
  New 
  Mexico 
  to 
  Montana, 
  three 
  other 
  geographic 
  forms 
  

   are 
  known. 
  These 
  are 
  the 
  sooty 
  grouse 
  (D. 
  o. 
  fuliginosus) 
  of 
  the 
  northwest 
  

   coast, 
  from 
  California 
  to 
  southern 
  Alaska; 
  Richardson 
  grouse 
  (D. 
  o. 
  ricJiard- 
  

   soni), 
  from 
  Montana 
  to 
  northwestern 
  British 
  America; 
  and 
  the 
  Sierra 
  dusky 
  

   grouse 
  (D. 
  o. 
  sierra) 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  in 
  California 
  and 
  east 
  slope 
  of 
  Cas- 
  

   cade 
  Mountains 
  in 
  Oregon. 
  

  

  6 
  Birds 
  of 
  Wyoming, 
  p. 
  54, 
  1902. 
  

  

  c 
  Auk, 
  vol. 
  6, 
  p. 
  33, 
  1889. 
  

  

  d 
  Hist. 
  N. 
  A. 
  Birds, 
  vol. 
  3, 
  pp. 
  424-425, 
  1874. 
  

  

  e 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  vol. 
  12, 
  p. 
  365, 
  1879. 
  

  

  