NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 



143 



ing' 

 birds ' 



season and capable of being inflated to the size of a small orange; this is done 

 when the bird makes its familiar "boom- 



'" noise. They are very good -'table 

 ' and although they are still very 

 abundant in most of their range, so many 

 are being killed for market, that it has .& 

 become necessary to make more stringent 

 laws relating to the killing and sale of Pin- 

 nated Grouse, as they are often called. 

 They nest anywhere on the prairie, in hol- 

 lows in the ground under overhanging 

 bushes or tufts of grass. They lay from 

 eight to fifteen eggs having a buffy or olive 



' ground color, sparingly and finely 



buff 



sprinkled with brown; size 1.70 x 1.25. 



[OliveJbuff.l 



305a. Attwater Prairie Hen. Tympanuchus americanus attwateri. 

 Range. Coast region of Louisiana and Texas. 



This is a slightly smaller and darker variety of the Pinnated Grouse. Its 

 eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the more northerly distributed bird. 



306. Heath Hen. Tympanuchus cupido. 



Range. Island of Martha's Vineyard, Mass. 



This species is similar to the preceding, but has the scapulars more broadly 

 tipped with buff, the axillars barred, and the pinnated feathers on the neck 

 pointed. It is slightly smaller than the western species. It is found on the 

 wooded portions of the island, where its breeding habits are the same as those of 

 the Ruffed Grouse. Mr. Brewster probably has the only authentic set of the eggs 

 of this species. They are of a yellowish green color and are unspotted. Size 

 1.70 x 1.25. A number of Prairie Hens liberated on the island several years ago 

 are apparently thriving well, and nests found there now would be fully as apt to 

 belong to this species. 



[Pale buff.J 



307. Lesser Prairie Hen. Tympanuchus pallid- 

 Id net us. 



Range. Prairies from southwestern Kansas 

 through Indian Territory to western Texas. 



A smaller and paler species than the Prairie Hen. 

 Never as abundant as the common Pinnated 

 Grouse, this species appears to be becoming 

 scarcer each year. Its nests are concealed under 

 overhanging~brush or placed under a large tuft of 

 prairie grass, and are generally lined with a few 

 grasses or leaves. They lay from right to twelve 

 eggs of a buffy color, much lighter than those of 

 the Prairie Hen, and unmarked. Size 1.65 x 1.25. 



