670 
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. 
hunter, they sometimes seek safety by plunging into the 
snow, and, quickly burrowing beneath it, come out at a 
distance, and often from a situation the least expected, 
so that they frequently make good their retreat from their 
enemies. 
The Sharp-Tailed Grous makes its nest on the ground, 
near some bush, with loose grass and a few feathers ; 
the eggs are from 9 to 13, white, with dusky spots. The 
young are hatched about the middle of June, and utter a 
puling note somewhat like chickens. Unsuccessful at- 
tempts have been made to domesticate them. The male 
has a shrill, rather feeble, crowing note ; and both sexes, 
when disturbed, and on taking wing, repeat a reiterated 
cry of kuk, kuk, kuk , accompanied by a smart flirting of 
the tail-feathers, nearly similar to the opening and clos- 
ing of a fan. In the breeding season the male struts 
about proudly, in the usual manner of the genus and or- 
der to which' he belongs. The weight of this bird is 
about two pounds, and the flesh is light brown when 
cooked, and is much esteemed. 
The length of the Sharp-Tailed Grous is 16 inches, alar extent 23. 
The general color of the bird is a mixture of white, and different 
shades of ferruginous on a darkish ground. Breast and sides white, 
with arrow-shaped spots of dusky ; the belly paler, vent almost 
wholly white, with a few very small dusky spots ; 3d and 4th pri- 
maries longest, outer wing-coverts brown, each feather with a con- 
spicuous terminal spot ; axillary feathers white, with a small dusky 
spot on each. Quills plain dusky, with white spots at certain dis- 
tances on their outer webs ; secondaries spotted and tipped with 
white. Tail graduated, the middle feathers 5 inches long, the outer 
2, all dark, varied with ferruginous of different shades and mottled 
with dusky, tapering from the base toward the point, where they sud- 
denly dilate, and are emarginated at the extremity. The spring plum- 
age is more bright than the autumnal, and likewise presents some 
differences in the spots and markings. 
