THE BIRD BOOK 



"mBb 



Prairie Chicken 



Heath Hen 



breeding season, and capable of being inflated to 

 the size of a small orange; this is done when the 

 bird makes its familiar "booming" noise. They 

 are very good "table birds" and although they are 

 still very abundant in most of their range, so 

 many are being killed for market, that it has 

 become necessary to make more stringent laws 

 relating to the killing and sale of Pinnated 

 Grouse, as they are often called. They nest any- 

 where on the prairie, in hollows on the ground 

 under overhanging bushes or tufts of grass. They 

 lay from eight to fifteen eggs having a buffy or 

 olive buff ground color, sparingly and finely 

 sprinkled with brown; size 1.70x1.25. 



305a. 



Attwater Prairie Chicken. Tympanu- 

 eh us americanus attwateri. 



Range. — Coast region of Louisiana and Texas. 



This is a slightly smaller and darker variety of 

 the Pinnated Grouse. Its eggs cannot be distin- 

 guished from those of the more northerly dis- 

 tributed bird. 



306. Heath Hex. Tympanuchus cupido. 



Range. — Island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. 



This species is similar to the preceding, but has the scapulars more broadly 

 tipped with buff, the axillars barred, and the pinnated feathers on the neck 

 pointed. It is slightly smaller than the western species. It is found on the 

 wooded portions of the island, where its breeding habits are the same as those of 

 the Ruffed Grouse. Mr. Brewster probably has the only authentic set of the 

 eggs of this species. They are of a yellowish green color and are unspotted. 

 Size 1.70 x 1.25. A number of Prairie Hens liberated on the island several 

 years ago are apparently thriving well, and nests found there now would be 

 fully as apt to belong to this species. 



Z&~ 



186 



