ZOOLOGY. 
95 
TETRAO UROPHASIANUS. 
Sage Cock. 
This is the largest of American grouse, the male sometimes weighing from five to six 
pounds. It is, when in full plumage, rather a handsome bird, at least decidedly better looking 
than any figure yet given of it. The female is smaller than the male, and of a monotonous 
sober brown ; but the male, brown above, is handsomely marked with black and white on the 
neck, breast, and wings, and has a distinctive character in the spaces of bare, orange colored 
skin which occupy the sides of the neck. These spaces are usually concealed by the feathers, 
but are susceptible of inflation to a great size, and, when strutting in parade before the females, 
the neck is puffed out like that of the pouter pigeon. 
This bird does not inhabit the valleys of California, but belongs to the fauna of the interior 
basin, or, more probably, to the Rocky mountain fauna—that of the dry, desert country 
lying on both flanks of the Rocky mountain chain. We first met with it high up on Pit river, 
at the point where we left it and crossed over to the lakes. Coming into camp at evening, I 
had been attracted by a white, chalk-like bluff, some two miles to the right of our trail, which I 
visited and examined. Near it was a warm spring, which came out of the hill-side, and, spread¬ 
ing over the prairie, kept a few acres green and fresh, strongly contrasting with the universal 
brown of the landscape. In this little oasis I found some, to me, new flowers, many reptiles, 
and a considerable number of sharp-tailed grouse, of which I killed several; the whole presenting 
attractions sufficiently strong—as we were to remain encamped one day—to take me over there 
early next morning. I had filled my plant case with flowers, had obtained frogs and snakes 
and chalky, infusorial earth enough to load down the boy who accompanied me, and had enjoyed 
a fine morning’s sport, dropping as many grouse on the prairies as we could conveniently carry. 
Following up the little stream toward the spring on the-hill side, a dry, treeless surface with 
patches of “sage bushes,” (artemisia tridentata,) I was suddenly startled by a great flutter and 
rush, and a dark bird, that appeared to me as large as a turkey, rose from the ground near 
me, and, uttering a hoarse heJc, helc , flew off with an irregular, but remarkably well sustained 
flight. 
I was just then stooping to drink from the little stream, and quite unprepared for game of 
any kind, least of all for such a bird, evidently a grouse, but so big and black, so far exceed¬ 
ing all reasonable dimensions, that I did not think of shooting him, but stood with open eyes 
and, doubtless, open mouth, eagerly watching his flight to mark him down. But stop he did 
not, so long as I could see him, now flapping, now sailing, he kept on his course till he 
disappeared behind a hill a mile away. 
1 was, of course, greatly chagrined by his escape, but, knowing that given one grouse it is 
usually not difficult to find another, I commenced looking about for the mate of the one I had 
lost. My search was not a long one; almost immediately she rose from under a sage bush with 
a noise like a whirlwind, not to fly a mile before stopping to look around, as the cock had done, 
but, by a fortunate shot, falling helpless to the ground. No deer stalker ever felt more tri¬ 
umphant enthusiasm while standing over the prostrate body of a buck, or fisherman when the 
silvery sides of a salmon sparkled in his landing net, than I felt as I picked up this great, and 
to me unknown, bird. I afterward ranged the hill-sides for hours, with more or less success 
waging a war on these birds, which I found to be quite abundant, but very strong winged and 
difficult to kill. I repeatedly flushed them not more than ten yards from me, and, as they rose, 
