268 BULLETIN 16 2, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



birds. The net result of this catastrophe was an amazing decrease 

 in the number of heath hens, which according to official estimates 

 was reduced to less than 150 birds, most of which were males. 



There was a slight rally in numbers during the following few 

 years, but the birds were too far gone to overcome the surmounting 

 uncontrollable conditions of extensive interbreeding, declining sexual 

 vigor, the condition of excess males, and, worst of all, disease. 



In 1920 many birds were found dead or in a weak and helpless 

 condition, indicating that disease was then exacting its toll. The 

 heath hen is very susceptible to poultry diseases, and when domestic 

 turkeys were introduced to the island in large numbers the dreaded 

 disease blackhead came with them. The turkeys and heath hens fed 

 on the same fields, and thus the disease was readily transmitted 

 through droppings to the native birds. 



The heath hen continued to decrease in numbers, and by 1925 

 it was apparent that they had reached their lowest ebb in history. 

 The Federation of the Bird Clubs of New England then came to 

 the front and offered to raise $2,000 annually to support additional 

 warden service. In spite of this splendid cooperation the birds, after 

 two years of effort on the part of all concerned, continued to de- 

 crease. The 1927 spring census revealed but 13 birds, only 2 of which 

 were females. During the fall of 1928 only two birds were seen and 

 after December 8 but one was reported. This bird was photographed 

 from a blind on April 2, 1929, at the farm of James Green located 

 on the State highway between Edgartown and West Tisbury. At that 

 time it was the common expectation that the bird would step out of 

 existence before the end of another year. (See pi. 1, frontispiece.) 

 It was seen regularly until May 11, 1929, but after that date it disap- 

 peared among the scrub oaks to live a life of seclusion, as was cus- 

 tomary for the heath hen to do in the past, during the summer months. 

 After the molting season it again appeared at the Green farm to 

 announce to the world that it was still alive. It was seen at irregular 

 intervals during the winter, and after the first warm days of March 

 it appeared daily at the traditional booming field at the Green farm. 

 The bird was studied and photographs were taken again at the time 

 of the annual census in March-April, 1930. The lone bird continued 

 to appear at the Green farm during April and May, where it was 

 observed by many ornithologists and bird lovers who journej^d to 

 the island to get a glimpse of the famous last bird. The bird again 

 disappeared during the summer, and no reports were received until 

 it almost met a tragic death on September 15, when it was nearly run 

 over by an automobile traveling one of the little-used roads leading 

 across the scrub-oak plains. In October it resumed its daily visits to 

 the open field on the Green farm and at the time of this writing 



