284 BULLETIN 16 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



the gunners, as gunners are few per capita in those parts, but is due largely to 

 the cutting up of this vast wilderness into small farms. The bunch-grass land 

 can not be mowed for hay ; therefore, in such land the chickens have found an 

 ideal home in which to rear their young and harbor themselves during the 

 winter. Such land is soon destroyed by cultivation and small pastures. With 

 the advancement of civilization the flocks scatter and become depleted. 



He wrote to me in December, 1927 : 



The saving of the lesser prairie hen for future time is assured, as some recent 

 laws were enacted in Kansas that gave the game commission the power that 

 enables them to close and open seasons without any special legislation from 

 the State. After visiting the nesting grounds this summer and noticing that 

 many of the birds had been destroyed, I took it up with the State game warden, 

 J. B. Doze, and Lee Larabee of the commission, and they established the close 

 season this year. We are therefore assured of a good crop of birds next 

 year. 



Winter. — Of their winter habits, Colvin says: 



Though naturally lovers of the free range, during the winter they rely largely 

 upon the farmer and rancher for their food. A large amount of grain is con- 

 sumed by the flocks as they roam from one grain field to another. In the 

 eighties a man by the name of Hatch settled in the sandhills just inside the 

 Kansas line in Seward County. Here he planted a grove of black locust trees 

 and spread out his broad fields of maize and kaffir corn. The Texas bobwhites, 

 mountain quail, and lesser prairie hens soon learned that this man was a 

 friend of the birds, and straightway made it their rendezvous. Here, each 

 fall, the chickens gathered by the thousands, and each spring spread out over 

 the vast prairies, nesting and rearing their young. In the fall of 1904 my 

 brother estimated that he saw in a single day, 15,000 to 20,000 chickens in and 

 around this one grain field. Though timid if persecuted, if unmolested they 

 become quite tame, coming to the barn lots to feed, and will put as much con- 

 fidence in man as quails when protected. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The Great Plains region, from southeastern Colorado and 

 Kansas south to west-central Texas and probably southeastern New 

 Mexico. 



Breeding range. — The breeding range of the lesser prairie chicken 

 extends north to southeastern Colorado (Gaumes Ranch and Holly) 

 and southwestern Kansas (Cimarron). East to southwestern Kan- 

 sas (Cimarron) and Oklahoma (Ivanhoe Lake, Fort Reno, and Fort 

 Cobb). South to southwestern Oklahoma (Fort Cobb); northern 

 Texas (Mobeetie and Alanreed) ; and east-central New Mexico 

 (Portales). West to east-central New Mexico (Portales) ; and 

 southeastern Colorado (Cimarron River and Gaumes Ranch). 



Winter range. — Confined chiefly to central Texas. North to 

 Monahans, Midland, and Colorado City. East to Colorado City, 

 Middle Concho River, and Bandera. South to Bandera, Fort 

 Clark, and the Davis Mountains. West to the Davis Mountains 



