The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-04

OF August, when tho laws OF most Of the
WeSfera states permit the shooting of them.
In Illinois Iowa and Wisconsin It is not
unusual for sportsman 70 kill sixty ina
DAY Ct tho opening Of the season. In win
eer, when the snow cnmpels them to come
near the woods and the wheat stacks for
food, they are trapped in great numbers,
packed in barrels, and sent 70 the cities Of
the eastern states, and even to London. It
= not unusual for shippsEs to ssnd . hum
drsd barrels Of this game In 4 single con-
eiRnment to New York. It il this wholesale
trapping and expectation which ID extel-
minatin9 tho species. When the bird is
young Il remains in ito original Convey, and
whom disturbed. scattere in the tall prairie
grass, and can then be flushed over the dog
one at time. 10 that the sportsmAn is thus
often able to secure the whole Convey. Later
several coveys unite in pack, and BY
frosty weather several small packs unite,
forming q pack Of fifty to q hundred birds.
Than they keep on the wide range Of the
open e. prairie, and become wary and watch
Tho pinnated grouse has the power Of in
dating the two yellow sacks which he car
ries on the sides Of his neck, and during the
mating season the cocks are often seen
strusting and sWellinG in mimic grandeur,
a thrumming noise With their wing, striving
to please by their grandiose ways. At these
times they are pugnacious, and two cocks
never meet without a battle. They fit up in
the air several feet, striking at each other
with wings and feet until one yields the
place of honor TO the other and departs.
number getting together and having reg
ular minuet on the grass. They will scat
tor about in couples, nod their heads and
circle around slowly, while two will run %
the center and have 4 regular forward
and-baok" and .scross-over'' movement.
They viii keep this up for half an hour, all
The pin-tail Or sharp tail grouse 10 q close
connection Of the prairie fowl. but without
the gular sac; and, like that bird, il inhab-
its the open prairie land, nesting in the
same manner, feeling ON the same food,
and often found asscciating Win him. Its
size il the same. but it, color nnsh lighter,
and, instead Of the dark brown bars on its
breast, it carries little spots of v shape, of
a light, ashy brown. It's name is derived
from the two middle feathers in its tail ex-
tending beyond the others, thus forming
long. pointed tail.
It is claimed that there are two varieties
of the sharp-tail Rrouse-one in the arctic
north and one in the central territories of
the continent, each with slight variation
the northern one having black instead
OF brown-colored back. # this is 20,
have never seen the. arctic variety. The
Platte river, and have seen it rise, with its
whirring flight and lighter and asher hue,
from among pack Of pinnated grouse, on
the Des Moines river in Iowa. Its fesh is
lighter In color than that of the prairie
fowl and more delicate in flavor.
The sharp tail grouse is feathered not
only to the toes, but to the first joint of the
toes, as is the Rocky Mountain grouse.
while the ruffed grouse is slightly feathered
to the toes, and the pinnated grouse is
scarcely feathered to the toes. The true
ptarmigan wears abundant feathers down
to his toe nails.
The dusky grouse is found in the Rocky
mountains and the various spurs of high
lands that are connected Herewith. It is
marvelously graceful bird, often quite black
or blue-black, and fecked here and there
with little pencilings of white feathers,
looking as though crystals of new snow had
fallen upon it. These seem to be the tips
of white feathers just coming to the surface
of the black. Sometimes the bird is dusky
or of a dark slate color marked with white,
and always bearing that distinguishing
mark of the grouse family-the briRht-col-
ored streak over the eye-which, in this
bird. is scarlet. It's tail Is rounded and Or
namented with the band of darker hue
that most of the grouse family possess. It
has the Rular sack on the side of the neck,
and its cry in the springtime is like the
blowing several times suddenly into an
empty bottle.