1908] BIRDS. IT 



Geog. Dist, Eastern North America. 



AY. Va. Dist, Common in all parts of the state excepting the higher 

 mountain regions. 



Nest Breeds abundantly. I have seen young birds scarcely able 

 to fly as late as Oct 9th. 



Food Insects, grains, nuts, etc. 



300. Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus). This common game bivil 

 is represented by two specimens, a male and a female. "Pheasant 7 ' is 

 the name applied to this grouse in most sections of West Virginia. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern U. S., and southern Canada. 



W. Va. Dist. Common in the great deciduous forests in the hill 

 region of the state. I have found that this species is rare in parts of 

 the Ohio Valley. It is not at all common in the higher parts of the 

 Allegheny Mountains. In the Yew Mountains (1905) and in the 

 Back Allegheny Mountains (1907) I found very few of these birds. 



Nest Breeds commonly in W. Va. Nest on ground; eggs eight: 

 to fourteen. 



Food Insects, berries, seeds, leaves,, and leaf-buds. 



310. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). We are exceedingly 

 fortunate in having in the collection a pair of these magnificent game- 

 birds. Xote carefully how the male and female differ, and observe 

 the chestnut-colored tips to the feathers of tail and upper tailcoverts- 

 In domestic turkeys these tips are white. The domestic turkey is 

 descended from the Mexican Turke} r , a wild species found in Texas, 

 Arizona, and Mexico. It was this latter species that was domesti- 

 cated by the ancient Mexicans. 



Geog. Dist. Eastern U. S. from Pennsylvania southward. 



W. Va. Dist,' Once abundant in this state. Now quite rare r 

 though generally distributed in the mountains. This great bird will 

 soon become extinct in W. Va., if forest destruction continues at the 

 present rate. 



Nest Makes its nest on the ground. Eggs, ten to fourteen. 

 Breeds in W. Va. 



Food Grasshoppers, nuts, etc. 



316. Mourning Dove (Zenaidura macroura carolinensis] . Male 

 and female. 



Geog. Dist. North America. 



W. Va. Dist. Common all over the state. I have seen seventv-five 



