Notes on the Birds. 335 
68. BONASA UMBELLUS UMBELLUS (Linneus). RUFFED GROUSE. (300) 
Quite common in Monroe County in 1881-1886, especially on the heavily 
wooded hillsides; doubtless still common in all suitable places in that 
eounty. 
Formerly rather common in all suitable places in Vigo County but now 
quite rare. I have seen it occasionally in the woods near Coal Creek north- 
west of Terre Haute, also on one or two occasions along Honey Creek south 
of town and in the heavy woods near the Goose Pond. 
In Carroll County it was common until about 1885, especially in the 
heavy woods along Wild Cat Creek and other streams. March 7, 1879, shot 
one in the Deer Creek bottom near Robert Porter’s, southwest of Camden; 
August, 1881, several seen, and several noted in the winter of 1881-2; Jan- 
vary 22, 1885, one killed by A. M. Evermann near Burlington. Nest with 
several eggs seen in Stockton’s woods near Burlington about May, 1883. 
69. TyMPANUCHUS AMERICANUS AMERICANUS (Reichenbach ). 
PRAIRIE CHICKEN. (305) 
I have no record of the occurrence of the Prairie Chicken in Monroe 
County. 
The only place in Vigo County where I have seen Prairie Chickens is 
the considerable area of prairie land at Heckland about 10 miles north of 
Terre Haute. It was my custom frequently to visit this little prairie with 
my botany and zoology classes, and sometimes alone. The locality was a 
very interesting one. Many species of prairie flowers could always be 
found there which were yery rare or unknown in other parts of the 
county ; and then I was always apt to find species of birds not found else- 
where. The Prairie Chicken was one of these. Usually from one to a half 
dozen could be found in that neighborhood if I took the trouble to hunt for 
them. 
A fine specimen, a male, obtained April 1, 1890, from Raub, Indiana, 
whence it was sent me by Mr. Ward, one of my students. One, a male, 
obtained in the Terre Haute market, January 19, 1891; cost 60 cents. 
In Carroll County, the species has never been common except in the 
prairie of the northwestern part. When a boy, I remember to have seen 
two alight on the top board of a gate across the lane on my father’s farm, 
just east of the Michigan road. They remained only a few moments then 
resumed their flight, going on eastward. In Tippecanoe and Jefferson town- 
ships, in the northwestern part, they have been and still are rather common. 
In the spring of 1883, and again in 1884 and 1885, when driving over that 
portion of the county, as I had frequent occasion to do, I rarely failed to 
see several pairs, or to hear them booming in the morning and evening. 
Several seen and heard in the prairie near the Evans schoolhouse ( Tippe- 
canoe Township), April 17 and 18, 1883; May 8, 1884. one seen in an old 
cornfield near the Evans schoolhouse; February 9, 1885, two seen by Miss 
Mary Cunningham near the New Beauty schoolhouse (Tippecanoe Town- 
ship), snow very deep and day very cold. 
