PINNATED GROUSE 247 
ties where like conditions exist. We intend to make 
these birds the object of special care and supervision 
in the hope that they may multiply and yet be seen in 
large quantities in this State. They should be pro- 
tected during every month of the year for a period of 
five or six years, but the truth is that very few of 
the birds can be killed during the thirty days of the 
open season, as they are then full grown and are very 
strong, and will not lie before a dog and are very 
shy.” 
Kansas is another State where the prairie grouse was 
formerly abundant, but here the pinnated grouse is 
always the common bird, and the sharp-tail the ex- 
ception. Mr. D. W. Travis, State fish and game war- 
den, gave in brief but very telling form the history of 
the wholesale destruction and rapid decrease of prairie 
chickens until about ten years ago, and then of the 
change of sentiment and an increase of the birds during 
the year 1905. Mr. Travis says: 
“Up to the year 1885 pinnated grouse were very 
plentiful in Kansas and especially so in the western 
part. From that time they decreased very rapidly, 
until about 1900. Between those dates a grouse was 
seldom seen in the eastern half of the State, and but 
very few in the western half. The decrease was caused 
by the late burning of the prairies all over the western 
half of the State. Settlers were filling this section rap- 
idly, and it seemed to be the general opinion that all 
dead grass should be burned, which destroyed all food 
and insects, starving the birds out and leaving no nest- 
