230 



MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



resembles the Sharp-tailed Grouse in a general way, but the latter lacks 

 the neck tufts, has the middle tail-feathers decidedly longer than the rest 

 (about an inch), and the breast spotted with V-shaped black marks instead 

 of barred regularly with black and white. 



Distribution. — Prairies of the Mississippi Valley; south to Louisiana 

 and Texas, east to Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario; 

 west throu-gh eastern portions of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, and Indian Territory; north to Manitoba; general tendency to 

 extension of range westward and contraction eastward; migration north 

 and south in Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. 



Formerly the Prairie Chicken seems to have been abundant over a large 

 part of the southern half of the state, and if it were afforded good protection 

 from the so-called sports- 

 men during the fall no 

 doubt it would still be a 

 common bird. It is well 

 known that this species 

 is not necessarily driven 

 out by civilization, in 

 fact up to a certain point 

 it increases in numbers 

 with the cultivation of 

 the country. It prefers 

 prairie lands and ordi- 

 narily nests in such 

 ground, and of course 

 when all suitable nesting 

 places are destroyed by 

 plowing the bird cannot 

 be expected to remain. 

 However, there are large 

 tracts of undrained or 



poorly drained open country in southern Michigan in which the Prairie 

 Chickens have nested in considerable numbers until within a very few 

 years, and doubtless in most counties south of the Saginaw Valley at 

 least a few pairs linger yet. 



The species was common in Ingham county, near the college, 

 until 1898 or 1899, but apparently none have nested in the old haunts 

 since 1900. I am informed, however, that there are still (1911) 

 some in the southeastern part oflthe county. Mr. John Hazelwood, of 

 Port Huron, writes: "I saw a flock of thirteen, at four different times, 

 quite close to Capac, St. Clair county, in 1899." In 1876 they were 

 abundant in parts of Washtenaw county, and a few were still found about 

 Brighton in 1886. Then apparently they became extinct there for many 

 years, but reappeared in 1908 and now seem to be on the increase in Wash- 

 tenaw county (N. A. Wood, Auk, XXVII, 1910, 131). Some are still 

 found in southern Jackson county (Watkins, 1906), and Hon. Chas. H. 

 Chapman, then State Game and Fish Warden, sent me reports from one 

 of his deputies who had found Prairie Chickens in some numbers in 

 parts of Eaton and Calhoun counties in November, 1906. We also have 

 recent reports of their presence in some numbers at several different places 

 in Kalamazoo county. A nest of twelve eggs was taken in Kalamazoo 

 county June 5, 1892 (Westnedge). At Petersburg, Monroe county, Jerome 



Fig. 63. Prairie Chicken. 

 From photograph of mounted specimen. 



(Original.) 



