" These birds, a t Fort Steiiacooni, ave very ahliadaat throughout the spring and early sununer. They are there mostly conrincd to tho
forewt. o t hr tree) (Aiie. «oaj/oasB). I.ate in the seam., alter h.tehing, they may he found g.noraily a l midday on tho grouml, in seareh
of herri«,, seeds, Ai. When nlae.ned, they almost h.vaeiabl, seek s.foly among the dons, foliage of tho troes. i.stlholi.ely appeariag to
nnderstaad Ih . adv.ntage. of Ihn. hiding. Ii. the autnnm they are more geneeally fouud on th . grm.nd, foedlog on ..Hal aad other
b e rtto . Ono day in Oetobee, 1S5G, 1 saw or, the Sl.qn.lly plain., among fern and gras., t.vo of th e ., bird., full growa, and in c.ocllent
order. A man killed the whole five, one hy one, with a double-harecllcd gun, witboot aa attempt beiag made by a siagle individnni to lly.
This Grou.e is a very hue table b ird; tlm little da.Ii of p ia r iosfe its hoah posserto. only adding to it. game flavor, f Iiavo hnowo males,
in June, woighmg three and a half pounds, althongh they rarely ovcccd two nnd three fourths pounds, liy Angnst 1st, tho yoinig are
generally half growa. They arc then easily kiilcd on tho „iiig, nod are cvcollout for the table.''
Tlm flesh of this Oronsl is white, re.eo.Uiag iu appeaeaoe. Ih.at of the R.lfled Geon.e (K I ’m U !,,), to which, in the eoa.ideration of
ma..y few birds can compnie, as regatos tendcenes. aad flavor. When on the gromid, it will Uo very close, sometimes starting up almost
from mtdor y o .r feel, and generallv, instead of «.ekhig tf e ly h. di.taal flight, will lake refago in the nenrest tree, wlmr. il will rom.in
a , motionle,. a . th . be.aohe. llmm.olves, ami la this m.m.er e.e.po, siaco II is neat to imposoiUe lo di.oovor it, a . slated in th . p .,-
..g e I Imv. qnotod above. Tho male eao.ed. tlm female it. .ise, and i. .imo.l nneqa.lletl in l.eanty of plam.go and g a ll.al l.e.eii.g,
among tlm Aincrlcnn Grott.e, I t. geoEe.pbic.l di.trlbulimt appe.r. to be Sorlim.m Calltorma, on th , Col.mbia River, a . far a . tlm co.-.l
of OtCgon and Wasliingtoii Toeritoiies, nnd timuee soiitbwato in tho main clmiti of Urn Rooky Mom,fains as fat as Te.vas.
As this speoies, together with it. near rel.alive, oommonly haowa a . IWroo 7Brio r* o .i, appear to poams. saflleiont e h .r.e lo r. to dis-
tlngnish thorn from tho gem,. Ot.oe. (a leein formed to indmie the .Inmricaa iVood Grottse), in having gnlar ..c k l, ami ind eompo.otl of
twenty fo.tlmm, I imv. deemed il best lo htehid. them in a separate gomi. by thcm.elve., and have therefore proposed the term M r n -
or 2ive-/.ri,y. The nest is formed upon tlm gromid. nnd tho egg. are of an a.I.-btowm eolor. Tbo male Im. the entire tipper part,
of a leaden gray, each featlme mottlod with rufous brown and blnck, this color cvtcndbig througboiit the upper tail coverts, the two
middle feathere of 'vUich are tipped witli ashy.
The wmss are bluish gray, mottled similarly to the back, with, however, larger spots and bare, and inelined to a
the feathers: the primaries and greater portion of the secondaries brown, with their outer webs of a light brown,
chin, and throat, white, irregnlariv crossei! with blaek. Breast and abdomen dark lead color; the fcathei
with white (in some instances, with a white central streak widening a t the end). A spot of white upon the neck just forward of tho
wing This covers the naked skin of the gular sacks, when it is not inflated. The tail fentl.ers arc black, ronndod a t the end, with
a broad terminal band of ash gray, and tho under coverts dark lead color, broadly tipped with white. Thighs and ta rd pale brown.
Bill black.
The female has the upper parts of a grayish brown, each feather with bare of black and rufous brown; the black bars broadest and most
cons).icnons upon the lower part of the neck and back ; and here also arc bars of brownish yellow in place of the rnfons brown. Upper part
of head yellowish brown, crossed with fine dark brown lines; back of neck leaden gray, indistinctly barred witli black lines; upper tail coverts
gravish, with zig-zag lines of blaek and yellowish brown. Wings lighter brown than the back, but similarly crossed with brown and black,
and the shafts of the feathers whitish. Primaries aud secondaries light brown, the outer webs of both mottled with a very light brown,
darker, however, on the sccondarie.s. Tail blaek, excepting the central fcathore, which are marked like tlie back, and witli a broad terminal
band of ash gray. Throat white, faintly marked with brown; upper part of bead dark load color, iritli irregular lines of yellowish brown
crossing near tlic end of the featlicre; under parts lead color, liglitcr than the male, and much obscured with white, and tho featlicre bordering
tlic belly broadly tipped with white. Under tail coverts dark gray, crossed with black lines, and tipped with white. Tliighs and Urei light
brown. Bill black.
The ])late represents the male of life size, and a reduced figure of tho female in the distance.
near the end of
0 before the eye,
n the flanks broadly marked