Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 81 



may be found in the annual burning over of the floor of these 

 forests in the erroneous opinion the gi-azing-ground is thereby 

 improved. As this custom has been followed for fifty years, 

 it has succeeded in extirpating a large number of plants, some of 

 which may formerly have been helpful or needed in making 

 the region a desirable abode for the Ruffed Grouse. 



-&^ 



*305. Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.). Prairie Hen. 



Tetrao cupido. Cupidonia cupido. Pinnated Grouse. Prairie Chicken. 



Geog. Dist. — Prairies of the Mississippi Valley from Louisiana 

 and Texas to Manitoba, now rare east of the Mississippi River 

 west through eastern parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kan- 

 sas with a tendency to spread with deforestation and the settle- 

 ment of the country, but disappearing when the population 

 becomes dense. 



That the Prairie Hen was once a common resident in the 

 prairie region of Missouri, there is ample proof, but as long ago 

 as 1888 reports came from observers in the state with that la- 

 mentable annotation so often met with in recent bird list 

 "Once common, now rare." With the increase of population 

 and prosperity the number of hunters increased wonderfully 

 during the last decade, and when the new game law of 1905 

 was framed, the danger of total extinction of the Prairie Hen 

 seemed imminent, but instead of following the example of other 

 states prohibiting all killing for a number of years, the legis- 

 lature made an open season from November 15 to December 15. 

 In a state which issues over 65,000 hunters licenses one month's 

 open season undoubtedly suffices to prevent any considerable 

 increase of the small remnants left. But even with the best 

 protection laws the Prairie Chicken, such an easy mark for every 

 boy hunter — and every Missouri boy in city or on farm is a 

 hunter now-a-days — ,has no prospect of ever becoming numerous 

 again except on well-guarded preserves, where they may easily 

 become semi-domesticated. Though as a rule non-migratory 

 the Prairie Hen of northern Iowa and Minnesota has been known 

 to migrate (some say the females only) southward into and 

 through western Missouri in November and December, returning 

 northward in March. Large flocks of such transients or winter 

 visitants were noticed formerly, but their numbers seem to be 

 too much reduced everywhere to notice such a movement at 

 the present time. 



