125 
Interior • of British North America . 
blanda andi?. micrantha), the Buffalo-berry {Shepherdia argentea ), 
and buds of th e.Hippophae canadensis, Cherry-birch ( Betula lenta), 
and willow. In spring I have also found the crops to contain 
the flowers of Anemone patens ; and Mr. Hardisty, the Master 
of Fort Carlton, on whose word I could rely, informed me that 
in the beginning of April, while travelling in search of buffalos 
over a part of the plains which had been burned by a prairie-fire 
the preceding autumn, he found in their crops a number of 
baked caterpillars and insects. In winter they collect in large 
packs, and, during fine weather, bask in the sun, perched on 
willows and aspens; while at other times they scrape holes 
through the snow down to the ground, and squat there. 
Towards spring the Sharp-tailed Grouse of a neighbourhood 
collect at a certain spot on the prairie (usually a small mound 
or other raised position) twice a day, morning and evening, about 
the time of sunrise and sunset, to celebrate, in their peculiar way, 
festivities of love, displayed to so remarkable a degree by birds 
of this family. By the inhabitants of the fur-countries this is 
called u dancing.” It is commenced even before the snow is off 
the ground; and one frequently comes by chance on such places 
where the snow and grass are beaten down for the space of many 
yards. I had often, during the spring mornings, heard the pecu¬ 
liar chuckling noise made by the birds on these occasions; for it 
can be heard at a distance of over half a mile; but having been 
confined to the Fort during that part of the day by magnetic 
observations, I was not able to search out the originators of it, 
which was the more annoying as the hunters and others used to 
tell me most wonderful stories of the “ pheasants' dance.” 
However, I was not doomed to be altogether disappointed; for, 
after our arduous work was completed, I went out on a trip to 
the plains, with the buffalo-hunters, at the commencement of 
April. On awaking one morning, when we were camped at a 
place called the “ Mosquito Springs,” my ears caught the well- 
known chuckling sound. I need hardly say that I was not long 
before I tied on my mocassins, and made my way towards a small 
knoll on the plain, which was but a short distance from our night's 
camp; and on nearing the place I could observe some Sharp¬ 
tailed Grouse running about. They were quite unsuspicious, 
