PRAIRIE HEN. 
fi pasetouuh cielo the prairies of the Mississippi 
Valley, south to Louisiana and Texas and west to 
Kansas and Dakota, east to Indiana and Kentucky and 
north to Manitoba, this familiar and well-known bird is 
found in greater or less abundance. Along the eastern 
limit of its dispersion the Prairie Chicken is rapidly 
diminishing, and like the buffalo, and many other wild 
creatures that once roamed in countless numbers over 
certain portions of our land, will doubtless soon entirely 
disappear. But as if to atone for the loss of its eastern 
possessions, it follows its star of empire westward, and as 
the settlements increase and multiply, so the Prairie 
Hen appears to flourish, and like Bob White accom- 
panies man as he penetrates the wilderness, either of 
forest or treeless plains. It is a resident species through- 
out nearly all its range, breeding where found, save in the 
northern portions of our land, and in the autumn, when 
the weather is severe, the females, for the flocks are 
mostly of that sex, leave the northern limit of their 
habitat and proceed south to more genial climes, such as 
may be found in Iowa and Missouri. In the spring, as 
soon as the weather has become somewhat settled, the 
birds all return to their northern homes. The males 
seem to remain behind, whether too lazy to undertake 
the journey, or less mindful of the excessive cold fre- 
quently experienced near the Canadian border, it is diffi- 
cult to determine, but probably the cold affects them 
less. 
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