" 'T V .
!
CENTEOCEEGUS EEOEHASIANUS. S w a in .
C0CK-OF-Tlll-:-l’LAIXS. SAGE COCK.
TETR.VO L'ROITI.ASfAXL'S. Bon., Zool. .rouni., vol. ill., Jan., 1828, p. 214.—Ib. Am. Ornitli., vol. iii., 1830, pi. xxi., fig. I.—Ib. Mon. Tetrao.
Trans. Am, Pliil. Soc., K. S., vol. iii., 1830, p, 390.—Ib. Gcog. and Goiii)., List Bird?, p. 44, No. 28".—Doug., Trans. Liun. Soc., vol,
xvi., 1829, p. 133,—Xutt,, Man., vol. i., 1>32, p. CCC.—And., Ornitb, Biog., vol, iv„ 1838, p. 503, |.l, 371.—Ib. Syn., p. 205.—lb.
Birds of Aincr., vol. v., 1842, p. IOC, pi. 297.—Newb., Zool. Cal. and Or. Route, Rep. P. R, R. Snrv., vol. vi., 1857, |>. 95.—Gray,
Gen, of Birds, vol. iii.
TETRAO (CENTROCERCL’S) UROPHASIANUS. Swain and Rich., Faun. Bor. Amer., vol. li., 1831, p. 353, p i Iviii.
CENTROCERCUS UROPHASIANUS. Baird, U. S. P. R, R. Exp. Expcd., vol, iv„ p. C24.-Gray, Cat. Birds, Brit. Mns„ part iii,, p. 40, 1844.
—t'oojic-r and Suckl, Nat. Hist, \Va.«!i. Territ., p. 222.—Jard., Game Birds, Nat, Libr. Birds, vol, iv,, ¡i, 140, p i xvii.—Elliot,
Proceed. Acad. Nat, Scien, (1804), p.
TETRAO PHASIANELLUS. Ord. Gntli. Geog., 2d Am. edit., vol. ii., 1815, p. 317.
COCK-OF-TIIE-PLAINS. Lewis and Clark, vol. ii., p. ISO, sp. 2.
This splendid bird, for its great size, stands iire-emiiieutly in tlic front rank of the Aiucricaii Grouse, and is ouly exceeded in that [larticiilar,
among all the members of tliis family, by the stately European Cock-of-tbc-YVoods [letrao Urogallus\, and its near ally (71 Urogalloides).
The Sage Cock is never observed in the ca.stern ¡lortion of our coutiueut, but dwells on the v.a.st plains whicli lie on both sides of the Rocky
Momitains, and wherever, on those almost endless tracts, the Sago Bush (Artemisia Tridentata) grows, there the Cock-of-the-Plaius abounds.
The flight of this speoies is strong, aud, a t times, well sustained; it rises with the lond whir-r-r peculiar to this cl.ass of birds, and progresses
by nltcrnatc flajiiiing and sailing, generally iu a straight line, until hidden by a hill or lost to the eye in the far distance. Tbo courting season
eominciices in the early spring, generally March or begimiing of Aiiril. At sncli times, about snnrisc, tlic male, perched iijiou some liillock,
lowers his wings until the primaries rest upon tho ground, spreads out his tail like a fan, and with tlie gular sacks inflateil to a prodigious
size, and head ilrawn- back, he struts up and down before the admiring gaze of the as.scinlilcd hens; then lowering his head until it is on a
level with liis body, lie exlinusl.s tho nir containeil ic the sacks, producing a loud grating noise resembling hurr-hurr-r-r-hoo, ending in a
" deep, hollow tone, not unlike the sound produced by blowing into a large reed." I t is in this po.sition I have endeavored to represent tbe
male in the ¡flatc. Tlio nest, formed of twigs and gi'ass, is always jilncod upon the ground, near the bank of some stream, or sheltered by
low bushes. The hen lays about lifteen or sixteen eggs, of a dark browu color, spotted on the larger end with chocolate. In about three
weeks the chicks appear, and, like ail of this family, run as soon as they are hatched, deserting the vicinity of the nest in a few hours.
During the summer and antiiiiiu these Grouse go in small flocks, sometimes only in pail's; hut in the winter and s|)riiig they congregate iu
iminoiise [lacks, to the iinmber of several hnndreds, ami roam over the iirairies in quest of subsistence. Their food consists chiefly of the le.ives
of the Artemisia, whieli, being very bitter, renders their flesh strong, and a t times utterly unfit to cat, thus often dcin iviiig some linngry traveller
on tho plains of what i>roiiiiscd him a delieiomi and savory meal In the antnmn, according to Nuttall, they froqiiciit the streams of the
Columbia River, where they feed on the Puipy-leaveil-Tlioni; at which time they are coasidercd good food by the natives, who take great
quantities of them in net.«.
Dr. Suckley, in his “ Natnr.a! History of YVashington Territory,” speaking of this bird, says: “ I have disseeted tlioso Grouse in situations
where tliere was abumlniicc of grass seeds, wild grain, gra.s.shoppers, and other kinds of food that a per.son wonld imagine Woulil be readily
eaten by them, yet I have failed to obtain a single particle of any other article of food in their full stomachs than the leaves of the Artemisia.
This food must either be highly preferrc<l, or else bo essential to their existence. Tlicy seem to have the liieulty of doing a long time without
water, as 1 li.ave found them iu habitually dry, desert situations, during severe droughts, a long ilistance from water. I have found tlii.« bird
most abnndaiit on the sonthcrn slo(ie of the Blue Monntaiiis in the vicinity of Powder River. Here there arc immense desert Sage plains,
well adajited to the siioeies in every respect, The bird bides well, and lies close, fiequently allowing a man’s approacii to ivitbin a feiv feet."
YVitli the following very interesting account of tbe Sage Cock, I close my article on this siieeies. It is taken from the report upon the
zoology of the route for a railroad to the Pacific Ocean by Dr. J, S. Newberry; " This is the largest of tbe American tironso, the iiinic sometimes
weighing from five to six poumls. It is when in full plumage rather a handsome bird, a t lea-st decidedly better looking than any figure