Winter Invasion, Jasper Co., Iowa. 41 



chicken is doomed to early extinction. In the summer of 1902 

 it was the most common bird by far in Aurora County, S. D. 

 On the trip from Sioux City, Iowa, out through Mitchell to 

 Chamberlain, S. D., I estimated that an average of twenty-five 

 birds per mile were flushed by the; train from the weeds along 

 the track. The neighboring fields were alive with them. They 

 were eaten by the farmers, lx)th in and out of season. Many 

 will testify as to their abundance in those years when the 

 great land movement was taking place. The influx of hun- 

 gry settlers, together with an occasional bad season, decimated 

 their ranks ; driven from pillar to post, with no friends, and 

 insufficient food, — what else than extinction can be ex- 

 pected ? 



Among those who hold this view is Mr. F. C. Pellett, cf 

 Atlantic, Iowa, who writes me as follows : — 



"A few years ago I saw considerable numbers of them in May 

 In North Dakota, but this past summer, during a trip of several 

 hundred miles overland in South Dakota, I was much surprised 

 at the small number of the birds to be seen. The time was August, 

 so that the young birds were mostly fledged and able to fly, and 

 the trip extended over Tripp, Todd, Mellette, Stanley, Washbauglh, 

 and Bennett Counties. Aside from Tripp and Stanley, the country 

 Is for the most part open prairie, with sparse settlement, where 

 one would expect to find favorable conditions. Unless ways can 

 be devised of rearing these birds in the domestic state the prairie 

 hen in my opinion is doomed to early extinction." 



I hope that others will report their observations through the 

 columns of the "Bulletin." An enforced absence from the 

 State during the next few months will prohibit me from learn- 

 ing the results of our strange invasion. 



h'c-a'toii, lorva, Dec. 28, igii. 



