Prairie Chickens 



181 



Berndt reports a large gathering of chickens at Stevens Point on a field of 

 soy beans. 



The drouth of 1930, with its accompanying fires, is said to have forced both 

 species of chickens to resort to the food patches early in the fall. Consequently 

 at this writing (November) many of them are exhausted at the season when they 

 normally should just begin to be used. 



MISCELLANEOUS LIFE HISTORY 



Foods. The following abbreviated summary is compiled from Judd's 

 bulletin: 



TABLE 34. Food of prairie chickens 



Pinnated 



Sharp tail 



Per cent animal matter 



Per cent vegetable matter __ 



Insects predominating 



Special insect pests eaten_. 



Fruits predominating 



Weed seeds predominating 



Legumes 



Grain, in order of amount 



Mast 



Miscellaneous.. 



Greens . 



14 per cent 



86 per cent 



Grasshoppers 



Locust, chinch bug, cutworm 



Rose hips, sumac_ 



Smartweed, r'agweed, sun 

 flower 



Cassia, hog peanut 



Corn, wheat, buckwheat, 

 barley, oats, millet 



Hazelnuts, acorns 



Flowers of goldenrod. 



Buttercup, everlasting, red 

 and white clover_ . 



10 per cent 

 90 per cent 

 True bugs. 



Weevils, locust, potato 

 beetle. 



Rose hips, thornapple, blue- 

 berry, cranberry. 



Smartweed, sunflower, rag- 

 weed. 



Alfalfa. 



Wheat, corn. 

 Acorns. 



Leaves of cottonwood, alder, 

 blueberry, juniper, larch, 

 flowers of parque and 

 dandelion. 



This admirable work, however, was done 25 years ago, and is a sort of cross- 

 section of many States and seasons. We still lack detailed local food studies in 

 the north central region.* 



Disease. Until the cause and mechanism of the cycle is known, any clear 

 case of disease in cyclic species is worth recording, especially in the southern tier 

 of States. 



* Now partially met by Gross' "Progress Report of the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken In- 

 vestigation" (1930). 



