32 THOMAS SADLER ROBERTS 



after. The vast quantities that were killed during its spring 

 movement through the United States was responsible for its 

 almost total disappearance. 



Canada Spruce Partridge. In former years a common bird in the 

 evergreen forests of the state, but it has steadily disappeared 

 until now but a few are left. 



Ruffed Grouse. Abundant formerly in all woodlands; now, at the 

 best, it is nowhere numerous. 



Prairie Chicken. Steadily disappearing. Over large areas where 

 it was formerly abundant its extinction is almost complete. 

 Refuges and restocking may perhaps still save it to a limited 

 extent. 



Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse. Same as last species. While unques- 

 tionably the merciless hunting of former years has been the 

 chief cause of the extermination of the Prairie Chickens, oth^r 

 agencies for which mankind is less to blame have played a 

 minor part. 



Swallow-tailed Kite. The seemingly almost complete disappear- 

 ance of this beautiful and once frequent bird is difficult to 

 understand. 



Golden Eagle. 



Bald Eagle. The Eagles are steadily disappearing. The Golden 

 Eagle was never common, but the Bald Eagle nested through- 

 out the state. A few pairs still make their homes in remote 

 places. 



Northern Pileated Woodpecker. Formerly frequent in all big tim- 

 ber, it has become uncommon, chiefly because it was a con- 

 spicuous mark for the thoughtless man with a gun. In pro- 

 tected areas, like Itasca Park, it has multiplied in recent 

 years, and become a familiar and almost common bird. 



Whip-poor-will. While still locally common, it has almost or 

 entirely disappeared from considerable areas where it was 

 formerly numerous. 



Horned Lark. This once everywhere abundant bird is for some 

 unknown reason gradually becoming less numerous. 



Blue Jay. Jays are markedly less in evidence than formerly. 



Northern Raven. Forty years ago fairly common in the northern 

 part of the state, but now rarely seen. Crows on the other 

 hand, have, in that time, increased enormously and have be- 

 come a serious pest throughout the entire state. 



