File:The gallinaceous game birds of North America, including the partridges, grouse, ptarmigan, and wild turkeys (1897) (14748861721).jpg

Identifier: gallinaceousgame00elli (find matches)
Title: The gallinaceous game birds of North America, including the partridges, grouse, ptarmigan, and wild turkeys
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Elliot, Daniel Giraud, 1835-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds Galliformes
Publisher: London : Suckling & co.
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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ng species and haunts the densespruce and fir forests, taking refuge in the dark foliage ofthe trees and remaining motionless. I have met with thisbird on the very summit of the mountains in the CoastRange, above the forest, and where the only coveringwas stunted trees and small clumps of bushes. I wasriding along such a place one morning, my horse pickinghis way carefully over the rocks and broken ground andwinding in and out among the low trees and bushes thatstood plentifully about, when I saw a covey of abouteight individuals of this Grouse upon the ground a shortdistance in front of me. Although they saw me and myhorse very well, and must have heard his iron shoesstriking the stones long before we came into view, theywere not at all alarmed but continued to feed, runningabout without the least concern. Dismounting, I ad-vanced toward them, when they drew together andlooked at me in a wondering kind of a way, and one ortwo flew up into a low tree that was near by, but no effort 94
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ig. Sooty Grouse. SOOTV GROUSE. 95 was made to escape. Drawing nearer, I fired at one ashe rose, when the rest took wing but flew only a shortdistance before ahghting, and then began to run. Theytook wing again as I advanced, when I secured two more,and with httle trouble and being obliged to walk but ashort distance I shot all but one, and he, finding the placealtogether unhealthy, flew down the mountain side, afterI had fired several times at his companions, and escaped.This was in the month of September, but snow had notyet fallen, and berries of various kinds were plentiful onthe bushes and vines, affording ample food for the birds.They were fat and in fine condition, and made a mostacceptable addition to our camp larder. In the thick firs it is practically impossible to see thesebirds, as they not only remain motionless, often squattingclose to the limb or to the trunk itself, but their dark,sooty plumage helps very much to conceal them; so, ifones eyes do light upon a bird, it i

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