PHEASANT-TAILED GEOUSE. 
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. Iv. 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 rising 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 lien. 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 wing, — 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 anything else ; the bird giving two or three 
claps of the wings in quick succession, at the same time hurriedly rising ; 
