HEATH HEN 275 



seen. In 1922, between June 15 and June 30, there were five broods 

 reported containing four to eight chicks; the exact dates were not 

 recorded. In 1923 the writer made a continuous search for nests 

 and young throughout the summer, but the birds by that time were 

 so greatly reduced in numbers that only one brood of two chicks 

 was seen, and that on July 3 during a downpour of rain, as we sud- 

 denly surprised the brooding mother in the middle of one of the 

 little-used crossroads. Since 1923 there have been no authentic 

 records of broods of young birds, and I very much doubt if any 

 young have been reared since 1925. 



Plmnages. — The following description is based on a downy young 

 about four days old : Underparts " cream-buff," the throat and mid- 

 dle of the belly approaching " colonial buff." Sides of the head 

 " Marguerite yellow " with three small black spots back of the eye. 

 Upper parts " tawny-olive " or " Isabella color," the region of the 

 rump " snuff brown " and " russet," variously marked with black. 

 There is a conspicuous mark on the forehead. The remiges and 

 coverts marked with various tones of brownish drab and black, the 

 feathers tipped with dingy w T hite. The measurements of this speci- 

 men are as follows : Bill, 8 ; tarsus plus third toe, 39.8 ; wing, 42.5 ; 

 length, 85 ; third toe, 23 millimeters. The natal down of a 2-day-old 

 specimen hatched in captivity by Dr. John C. Phillips is similar to 

 the above description but with the following differences : The under- 

 parts brighter yellow, the throat and sides of the head " amber yel- 

 low." The bright yellows fade rapidly when exposed to air and light, 

 and in chicks two weeks old the bright yellows of the underparts 

 are faded to a uniform " cream-buff." The measurements of the 2- 

 day-old chick are : Bill, T.5 ; tarsus plus third toe, 37 ; wing, 28 ; 

 length, 79; third toe, 19 millimeters. 



I have been unable to obtain a specimen of the heath hen in the 

 completed juvenal plumage, but it is reasonable to infer that the 

 sequence of the molts and plumages are similar to those described for 

 the prairie chicken. 



The first winter plumage of the heath hen is acquired by a com- 

 plete postj u venal molt except on the two distal primaries. The first 

 winter plumage is similar to the adult plumage, but the younger 

 birds are readily distinguished from the adults by their smaller 

 size, by the more rufescent color of the upper parts, and by the colora- 

 tion of the throat, which is " cinnamon-buff " in contrast to the 

 " warm buff " or " cream color " of the adults and the white throat 

 of the juvenals. The first plumages of the heath hen and the prairie 

 chicken are so nearly alike that one can not readily distinguish them 

 from each other. This ontogenetic resemblance indicates the close 

 relationship of the two races. 



