North American Grouse. 653 



will dash away, uttering their quick repeated cry of "Cluk-cluk-cluk- 

 cluk," and looking back over their wings at the sportsman, who 

 watches their flight and marks them down half a mile away. As 

 one goes to retrieve the dead birds still another and another will 

 rise, and it is only until one has been carefully over the field that 

 he feels secure that all the birds are up. The driver in the mean- 

 time, from his wagon, has marked the several birds down. The 

 game that is secured is placed in the wagon, and with renewed 

 hearts the sportsmen push on after the fugitives. 



A pointer dog is considered the best dog for this pursuit, as 

 his endurance and speed are great and he stands the heat without 

 needing water better than setters. And no one who has not tramped 

 all day with game through the prairie - grass can appreciate the 

 f it is to have the wagon always at hand to carry the game and 

 luncheon and also, at times, the weary sportsman. 



Often prairie-fowl meet their fate by coming in contact with the 

 telegraph wires, and the trackmen on the railroads constantly find 

 them with broken necks lying along the track. 



As the coyote or prairie-wolf has disappeared, prairie-fowl have 

 greatly increased in numbers. This restless and hungry marauder 

 destroys innumerable nests and sitting birds. The writer was once 

 watching a coyote from behind a prairie-knoll and saw him creep to 

 windward cautiously and then jump on some prey. On going to 

 the spot the wolf fled, leaving the feathers of a prairie-hen and her 

 broken eggs to mark his wastefuln< 



If the public would enforce the laws against trapping the birds in 

 winter, they would greatly increase. But it requires the extinction 

 of a valuable bird to teach the average American the importance of 



■ *±~ wm 1 



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