296 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [1895 



above, says : ' ' The nest was found close to the bank of Shoemaker's 

 Eun. I think there were 12 or 13 eggs in it, 4 of which did not 

 hatch." One of these is now in the possession of Mr. Jesse Slingluff. 

 Mr. E. W. Hasbrouck, of Washington, writes me, "In February, 

 '95, I saw a bunch of European Quail exposed for sale on the street ; 

 they were said to have been killed near Opequan Creek, but I could 

 get no further information." 



Bonasa umbellus (300). Ruffed Grouse. 



Common, resident. On May 2 ('94, Fisher), a nest with 10 

 fresh eggs was found. During July a covey of young, about 

 as large as partridge, were seen near Ellicott City by Mr. 

 Basil Sollers, and on June 10, '95, at Vale Summit, I came 

 across a pair with 8 or 10 young about the same size. 



Tympanuchus americanus (305). Prairie Hen. 



Early in the winter of '85 or '86, Col. Edw. Wilkins got 12 or 15 

 birds from the west and kept them until spring when he turned them 

 loose in his orchard, on the Chester River, about four miles below 

 Chestertown, Kent County ; a few days later two or three were seen 

 and then they disapj)eared. On Eastern Neck Island, Mr. Spencer 

 Wicks shot one in the fall, and Mr. Newton Bogle several times saw 

 another dusting itself in the road in the front of his house. Possibly 

 these were some of Col. Wilkins birds. "Mr. Ridgway records the 

 killing of a Prairie Hen on the Virginia side of the Potomac, near 

 Washington, March 17, '85 (Forest and Stream, sxiv, 204 and 248) . 

 It has been suggested that it was a descendant of birds, liberated 

 previously at Snow Hill, Maryland" (Birds Vas., 59). 



Family Phasianid^ — Pheasants, etc. 



Phasianus colchicus. European Pheasant. 



Col. W. F. Mason McCarty tells me that some years ago a number 

 were liberated on the grounds of the Woodmount Gunning Club in 

 Washington County. They are now fairly numerous, and this colony 

 may be considered as established. Occasionally birds wander off, 

 and have been shot quite a distance away from the preserve. 



Meleagris gallopavo (310). Wild Turkey. 



Mr. Robert Shriver writing from Cumberland, says, " Indig- 

 enous here, about as abundant as ever, they seem to be less 



