184 Game Survey of the North Central States 



Such a case was described to me by L. R. Grinstead, assistant agricultural 

 editor at the University of Missouri. He formerly operated a farm in Scotland 

 County, Missouri. About 1915 he found the carcasses of 8 or 10 immature 

 prairie chickens (pinnated) while cutting his hay in July. These birds were about 

 three-quarters grown, including no adults, and had the appearance of having been 

 dead several weeks. The fact that they were scattered over two or three hayfields 

 practically excludes the possibility that they were shot, and the observer states 

 there had been no chicken hunting on his place for 5 years. The unmutilated 

 carcasses exclude the possibility that they fell victim to predators. Chart 2 shows 

 that 1915 was a very wet year throughout Missouri. This is of interest in con- 

 nection with the frequent coincidence of disease mortality and wet years in ruffed 

 grouse. Mr. Grinstead says there was a decided local decrease in chickens during 

 the year when these carcasses were found, he having seen as many as 25 or 30 in a 

 bunch during the previous year, and hardly any following the occurrence. By 

 1927 only one chicken was left, a male which boomed in vain all the spring. 

 This survival of a male is again circumstantial evidence paralleling the disease- 

 history of ruffed grouse. 



An even more convincing case of disease is described by Stoddard in Table 

 35'. In this case also, the hen was the first affected. 



Langenbach reports killing a large chicken (pinnated) in very dark plumage, 

 on Rush Lake, Wisconsin, about 1915. This may have been the same dark phase 

 observed by Allen to accompany heavy parasitism in ruffed grouse. The date 

 would be right for heavy parasitism preceding the 1917 cycle. 



Symptoms Associated with Mortality; Per Cent Mortality. Table 

 35 summarizes the observations compiled during the survey on symptoms as- 

 sociated with the cycle in Wisconsin. The same limitations already stated for 

 Table 28 apply to this compilation. 



Estimates of the per cent t)f mortality during recent cycles are as follows: 

 If we can assume that Miles' census of the 1912 "comeback" is anywhere 

 nearly correct, and that present conditions in Indiana are similar to those obtain- 

 ing after the "comeback" had subsided the difference would yield a very rough 

 measure of the cyclic decimation in the State as a whole. I obtained second- 

 hand estimates on the five principal present ranges, and on a part of the scattered 

 colonies, and believe the number of birds in 1929 would run between 5,000 and 

 10,000. The latter figure is 90 per cent less than Miles' 1912 estimate. 



Fire and Accidents. Two kinds of mortality from accidents are deserv- 

 ing of-Special mention. 



One is the loss of winter cover from the burning of marshes in fall, and 

 what is still worse, the loss of nests from burning marshes in spring. Marsh 

 burning is still widespread and indiscriminate throughout the region, and in dry 

 years is estimated to needlessly cut down the chicken cover 75 per cent below 

 the already inadequate remnant which might harbor these birds. Mere legal 



