Open Nests on the Ground 
even in early fall, two or three broods being reared by a single 
pair. Incubation occupies 24 days, both birds assisting. Minot, 
in his book, ‘‘The Land Birds and Game Birds of New Eng- 
land,” says, ‘‘It is not uncommon to find a covey of young quail 
hardly able to fly even in November.” 
The nest is fairly easy to find, especially when the parent 
bird is not sitting, as the white eggs are very conspicuous ; but 
when the old bird is on the nest her protective colouring serves 
its purpose and makes her difficult to see. A likely place for the 
nest is on a farm, in the dry, grassy fields, or along the farm roads 
where there is a rank growth of weeds. 
289a. Florida Bob-white: C. v. floridanus (Coues) 
This is a sub-species of the more northern quail, being 
smaller and darker in colour. Length—8.50. The breeding 
habits are described as identical, except that ‘‘they begin to 
pair early in March.” 
805. Prairie Hen: Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.) 
Adult 6 —‘‘ Upper parts barred with rufous and black, and spotted 
with rufous ; sides of the neck with tufts generally com- 
posed of fem or more narrow, stiffened black feathers marked 
with buffy and rufous, their ends rounded, the skin beneath 
these tufts bare ; tail rounded, fuscous, the inner feathers 
somewhat mottled with ochraceous-buff, tip white, throat 
buffy, breast and belly white, evenly barred with black. 
Adult 9 —‘‘ Similar, but the neck tufts much smaller and the tail 
barred with ochraceous or rufous. Length—18.00.” (Chap- 
man. ) 
Breeding Range—The prairies of the Mississippi Valley, east to 
Kentucky and western Ohio, and north to southern Mani- 
toba. 
The nest, which is placed in a slight hollow in the ground, is 
made of grasses and feathers; it is usually found in the prairie 
grass, ‘‘and at the foot of bushes on the barren ground.” 8 to 
14 eggs are laid; they are grayish buff, sometimes speckled with 
brown. Size—1.70 xX 1.25. 
The Prairie Hen is said to be now much less common 
throughout its eastern range than it was formerly, though it is 
36 
