ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 233 



in Stepping; over a rotten log almost stepped upon the grouse. 

 The eggs were carefully counted and the number found to be 

 twenty-three; they were almost hatched and were not disturbed" 

 {ibid., I, 53). 



I have noticed that the Ruffed Grou.se sits verj- clo.se, depend- 

 ing upon its protective coloration harmonizing with the dead 

 brown leaves which invariably cover the ground around the nest. 



Genus Tympanuchus Gloger. 

 129. (305). 'Tyi)ipain((/iJis annrirauKS {K^ich..). Prairie Hen. 



Though the species has been dignified by the book -names of 

 Piiuiated (xrou.se and Prairie Hen, in the vernacular of sportsmen, 

 hunters, and all who ha\-e known the l^ird in its native haunts, 

 the name has always been, and l)ids fair to remain, "Prairie 

 Chicken " or simply " Chicken." The Prairie Chicken was for- 

 merly an abundant bird in all parts of the state, resident through- 

 out the year, and in many cases supplying the early settler with 

 his main supply of fresh meat. P'rom continual persecution by 

 hunters — farmers' boys and city sportsmen — with guns, dogs, and 

 traps, the destruction of the eggs and young, their lutmbers have 

 been greatly reduced until, while perhaps not actually extinct in 

 any county of the state, in most localities the Prairie Chicken is 

 very rare and can only be considered conniion in the northern 

 and northwestern portions of the state. 



The Prairie Chicken formerly nested upon the upland i)rairie 

 hillsides, but of recent }ears, owing to the thick .settlement of the 

 country, practically all such land is used for cultivation or pastur- 

 age and the Chickens have been forced to resort to the taller grass 

 around the edges of .sloughs and ditches. The burning of the 

 slough gra.ss in the spring is responsible for the destruction of 

 man}' nests, and a wet spring and summer always results in a 

 small crop of Prairie Chickens. In late sununer and early fall 

 (from my observations in \\'innebago count}') the}- frequent the 

 shade of tall weeds around sloughs, feeding on the stubble-fields 

 in the evening and morning. About October ist the survivors 

 of the coveys take to the corn-fields, becoming very wary, and 

 remain there most of the winter. A hunter may flush a covey, 

 iTiark them down at the edge of another field and, following them 

 up, hn'd tbat they have run silent!}- and rapidly to the other side 



