at once when thus flushed and sit rigidly upright in 

 plain view until all may be shot one by one. Of 

 recent years the later opening date of the season 

 and an awakening spirit of true sportsmanship 

 have remedied this to a considerable extent. But 

 there is still much illegal and pothunter-like 

 shooting of this coveted bird in the seclusion of 

 the forests and thus a too heavy toll is taken of 

 a species that withstands with difficulty the al- 

 tered conditions attendant upon man's usurpation 

 of the land. A vigorously enforced long close 

 season and re-stocking on a large scale are the 

 only means of saving this bird. 



Two sub-species of the Ruffed Grouse — the 

 more southern form and the Canadian or Gray 

 form — are represented in Minnesota and here 

 intergrade in such a manner that every conceiv- 

 able phase of coloration is found in our terri- 

 tory. 



*8. PRAIRIE CHICKEN: PINNATED 

 GROUSE: PRAIRIE HEN (Tympanuchus 

 americanus americanus). If history is correct, 

 the Prairie Chicken was not formerly a conspicuous 

 native bird of Minnesota if present at all, but in 

 early times found its way here with the first advance 

 of civilization and attendant grainfields, from its 

 native habitat on the plains of Illinois and adjacent 

 territory. It supplanted the indigenous Sharp-tailed 

 species in southeastern Minnesota as the latter re- 

 treated before the very civilization that brought the 

 Prairie Chicken, and advanced westward and 

 northwestward across the state, "reaching the 

 Red River Valley in the late seventies or early 

 eighties (see Coues' "Birds of the Northwest," 

 1874, p. 410, for earliest history). It is not very 

 uncommon for a bird thus to follow the advance 

 guard of civilization and increase greatly in 

 numbers at first, to be killed off later even to the 

 point of extermination, by the very agency that 

 fostered it in the beginning. 



Today the Prairie Chickens in Minnesota are 

 reduced to a mere remnant of what they were 

 forty or fifty years ago when the "booming" of 

 the cocks in the mating season resounded through 

 all the southeastern and central part of the state. 

 In the winter season the Chickens assemble in 

 great flocks, or "packs," and when the weather 

 is particularly severe retire to the cornfields and 

 milder climate of Iowa. 



It is to be hoped that a long close season will 

 be inaugurated in the immediate future as an 

 attempt to stay the otherwise inevitable disap- 

 pearance of this valuable game bird. 



9. PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE 

 (Pedioecetes phasianellus campestris). Xow ab- 

 sent from or merely accidental in the southeast- 

 ern part of the state, where in very early times 

 it was common and then the only prairie hen in 

 that region. Over the rest of the state, especially 



northwest, it exists in moderate numbers where 

 it was once very abundant. It is rather more 

 an inhabitant of brushland than the Prairie 

 Chicken. Sportsmen frequently call this bird by 

 the name "Grouse" as a distinction from "Prairie 

 Chicken." 



The V-shaped marks in place of bars on the 

 breast, absence of neck tufts, and the two long 

 central tail feathers serve to distinguish this spe- 

 cies from the last. 



This bird should be included in any close sea- 

 son that may be established. 



*10. ENGLISH PHEASANT (Phasianus col- 

 chicus). This introduced species exists in small 

 numlicrs in the wild state in southeastern Minne- 

 sota, but does not seem to be increasing very 

 rapidly. It may be of interest to know that the 

 so-called English Pheasant was originally a na- 

 tive of Asia Minor, whence it was introduced 

 into Europe by the Greeks and later into Eng- 

 land by the Romans, where it has been crossed 

 and intermingled with Chinese and Japanese spe- 

 cies, so that the stock imported into the eastern 

 United States is of this mixed breed (Chapman). 



11. GOLDEN EAGLE (Aquila chrysaetus). 

 Confined chiefly to the northern wilder portions 

 of the state, where it is becoming rare. 



The legs are feathered to the toes in this spe- 

 cies, while in the Bald Eagle the lower half of 

 the tarsus, or shank, is bare. 



*12. SHORT-EARED OWL: MARSH OWL 

 (Asio flammeus). A medium-sized owl. about 

 16 inches long, of yellowish brown appearance 

 and inconspicuous ear tufts. This is a bird of 

 the open country, frequenting marshes and mead- 

 ows, where it hunts for its prey of mice and other 

 small mammals aft€r the manner of the Harrier 

 or Marsh Hawk. It i^.jOften seen beating back 

 and forth iti such places in the full light of the 

 day. Found in open country throughout the 

 state, most commonly in the southwestern and 

 western counties. Some years ago E. L. Brown, 

 .of Warren, reported this species as the most 

 common owl of Marshall county, in northwestern 

 Minnesota. 



*13. BARRED OWL (Strix varia varia). 



Common in heavy timber. No tufts on head, 

 eyes brown, breast barred crosswise and belly 

 and sides lengthwise with white and grayish- 

 brown. Length, 20 inches. 



While this owl does some damage to poultry 

 and wild birds, it is entitled to protection be- 

 cause of the many mice and other small harmful 

 mammals and large insects that form the princi- 

 pal part of its food. 



14. GREAT GRAY OWL (Scotiaptex nebu- 

 losa nebulosa). A huge owl with no ear tufts, 

 bill and eyes yellow, under parts streaked 

 throughout witli white and grayish-brown. Length, 



