March, 1919] 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



161 



flocks of Semipalmated Plover and other small 

 waders. Without doubt they breed though we dis- 

 covered no nests. In 1918 the Piping Plover was 

 present in small but constant numbers continuously 

 from May 1 5 to Aug. 30, and a single individual 

 noted on Sept. 7. 



81. ^TURNSTONE, Arenaria interpres. 



Five seen in 1917, May 25 and 30, and six on 

 June 3; none thereafter. In 1918, the species ar- 

 rived in large numbers (500) May 28, gradually re- 

 ducing to 2 on June 12. In the autumn a few in- 

 dividuals were noted on Aug. 7 to 27. 



82. ^RUFFED GROUSE, Bonasa umbellus. 



A few Ruffed Grouse still hold out in some of 

 the larger bluffs. Their far carrying drumming was 

 often heard and three specimens taken in 1917. 

 According to Ward brothers, they were once very 

 numerous indeed, but are getting very scarce. They 

 do not seem to have learned the wariness that our 

 eastern birds find necessary to existence, and still 

 al'cv/ the^^s^lves to be treed by the dogs or shot on 

 the ground in truly primitive manner. This and the 

 unusual number of Goshawks and Horned Owls 

 that invaded the country in the winter of 1916-17 

 are probably the cause* of the great decrease in 

 numbers. Though the Gray Ruffed Grouse, B. u. 

 umhelloides, that inhabits the prairies is not a very 

 well marked or stable race these are quite typical 

 of that form. 1918 did not show much improve- 

 ment in the Ruffed Grouse situation and no in- 

 crease was apparent. One specimen taken is slightly 

 more red than those of previous years, but we ob- 

 tained none of the large red phase that Seton 

 mentions as occurring in Manitoba and of which 

 the Wards seem cognizant. 



83. PTARMIGAN, Lagopus (lagopus?) 



The Ward brothers say that they know of five 

 Ptarmigan being killed within a few miles of our 

 camp always in winter of course. If the Ptarmi- 

 gan ever occur here they are in all probability 

 Willow Ptarmigan, L. logopus. 



84. ^PRAIRIE CHICKEN, Tympanuchus americanus. 

 The Ward brothers say that this species appeared 



commonly in the Shoal Lake country some 13 to 15 

 years ago, though Arnold records nests in 1894 at 

 the south end of the lake and Seton saw one in 1901. 

 They increased to great numbers, but the last few 

 years have died out together with the other grouse 

 both Sharp-tailed and Ruffed. Of this I have more 

 to say under the following species. Throughout the 

 Canadian west the name of this species has been 

 given to the Sharp-tailed Grouse and wherever the 

 term Prairie Chicken is popularly used it is that 

 species that is meant. However, correctly speaking, 

 this is the true Prairie Chicken and has a prior right 

 to the name. Taking into consideration the con- 



fusion that has arisen between these two species it 

 might be advisable to apply "Prairie Chicken" to 

 either species of Prairie Grouse indiscriminately and 

 revive the equally satisfactory name Pinnated Grouse 

 for this species. About Shoal Lake the true Prairie 

 Chicken is called "Sau.T-o-'nil" or si-^iply "Grouse". 

 Unlike most of its family this species is partially 

 migratory and most of them d'sappear from the nor- 

 thern sections of their habitat in winter. The Wards 

 tell about a tame Prairie Chicken they had for 

 several years that returned regularly each spring 

 and was as much at home about the place as a dog 

 or a cat and quite able to protect itself against 

 these natural enemies. Once, during migration, it 

 was noted in the outskirts of Winnipeg where its 

 tameness attracted interested attention, and a news- 

 paper paragraph, while its identity was substantiated 

 by its lack of a toe. 



We saw very few scattered individuals during 

 the spring visit of 1917, though their dull booming 

 while love-making could be heard at all hours of 

 the day. This sound has a peculiar intensity and 

 wonderful carrying power and is as easily heard a 

 mile away as just across a field. The constant re- 

 occurrence of this sound in our ears, ;herefore, was 

 not an indication of large numbers of the species, 

 but of the great extent of the country within auditory 

 range. We probably heard the same individuals 

 again and again. The birds were very wild in- 

 deed flushing at a great distance from the intruder 

 and flying a mile or more before alighting. In the 

 autumn I found them considerably more common 

 probably owing to the successful raising of a few 

 broods. Contrary to expectations. Young found 

 the species even less common in 1918 than the pre- 

 vious year. Probably the fall shooting was more 

 than their reduced numbers could stand. A close 

 season of some years on this bird seems expedient to 

 bring them back to their normal numbers. 

 85. *SHARP-TAILED GROUSE, Pedioecetes 

 phasianellus. 

 This is the original prairie grouse of the Canadian 

 plains. It has been gradually displaced in southern 

 Manitoba by the true Prairie Chicken or Pinnated 

 Grouse of further south. Though generally called 

 "Prairie Chicken' it has no title to that name having 

 a perfectly good and distinctive one of its own as 

 above. About Shoal Lake, we found it even 

 scarcer in 1917, than the real Prairie Chicken 

 which seems now to be the most characteristic game 

 bird of the locality. During the spring visit we 

 saw but two birds and inquiry amongst the farmers 

 elicited reports of but a few more individuals. In 

 the autumn none were seen. In 1918, Young found 

 it still scarcer than the previous year only noting it 

 once at Shoal Lake on Sept. 21, though a flock of 



