LESSER PRAIRIE HEN. 19 



Connecticut and the eastern parts of New York, New Jersey, Penn- 

 sylvania, and Virginia. 



As no stomachs of this now rare bird were to be had for examina- 

 tion, we must depend on the work of other investigators for knowl- 

 edge of its food habits. Audubon « quotes David Eckley as follows : 



The bayberry, which abounds in many parts of :Martha's Vineyard, is the 

 principal food of the Grous particularly such as grows on low bushes near the 

 ground, and is easily reached by the birds. They also feed on the boxberry, 

 or partridge berry, the highland and lowland cranberry, rosebuds, pine and 

 alder buds, acorns, etc. 



William Brewster in 1890 ascertained that, all told, there were 

 probably only about 200 heath hens, and that they were confined to 

 about 40 square miles of the island of Marthas Vineyard. In speak- 

 ing of their habits, he says : ^ 



At all seasons the heath hens live almost exclusively in the oak woods, 

 where the acorns furnish them abundant food, although, like our ruffed grouse, 

 they occasionally, at early morning and just after sunset, venture out a little 

 way in the oi)en to pick up scattered grains of corn or to pluck a few clover 

 leaves, of which they are extremely fond. They also wander to some extent 

 over the scrub-oak plains, especially when blueberries are ripe and abundant. 

 In winter, during long-continued snows, they sometimes approach buildings to 

 feed upon the grain which the farmers throw out to them. 



If this bird can be saved from extinction and introduced into many 

 of the Eastern States, it will be much more likelv to succeed, on ac- 

 count of its woodland habits and narrow range, than the prairie hen, 

 which requires a more open country and usually does not take refuge 

 in woods from its enemies. Experiments Avith the heath hen must be 

 made soon, however, or it is likely to become extinct. 



THE LESSER PRAIRIE HEN. 



( Tynipan uch us paUidiciuctus. ) 



The lesser prairie hen is a smaller Taird than the common species 

 of the Mississippi Valley and is found from western Texas north 

 to western Kansas. But little of its life history is known. It 

 has been found breeding abundantly the first of June at Fort 

 Cobb, Ind. T., and William Lloyd observed this grouse wintering 

 in Concho and Tom Green counties, Tex. H. C. Oberholser, of 

 the Biological Survey, found them common in August, 1901, in 

 Wheeler County, Tex., where they frequented rolling plains over- 

 grown with oak brush from 1 to 4 feet high. These oaks are ever- 

 green, and the prairie hen feeds upon the buds and young shoots. 

 At the time of Oberholser's visit the birds were in covevs of from 



aOrnlth. Biog., II, p. .^>00. 1835. 



6 Forest and Stream. XXXV, p. 188, 1890. 



