PINNATED GROUSE 247 



ties where like conditions exist. We intend to make 

 these birds the object of special care and supervision 

 in the hope that they may multiply and yet be seen in 

 large quantities in this State. They should be pro- 

 tected during every month of the year for a period of 

 five or six years, but the truth is that very few of 

 the birds can be killed during the thirty days of the 

 open season, as they are then full grown and are very 

 strong, and will not lie before a dog and are very 

 shy." 



Kansas is another State where the prairie grouse was 

 formerly abundant, but here the pinnated grouse is 

 always the common bird, and the sharp-tail the ex- 

 ception. Mr. D. W. Travis, State fish and game war- 

 den, gave in brief but very telling form the history of 

 the wholesale destruction and rapid decrease of prairie 

 chickens until about ten years ago, and then of the 

 change of sentiment and an increase of the birds during 

 the year 1905. Mr. Travis says : 



"Up to the year 1885 pinnated grouse were very 

 plentiful in Kansas and especially so in the western 

 part. From that time they decreased very rapidly, 

 until about 1900. Between those dates a grouse was 

 seldom seen in the eastern half of the State, and but 

 very few in the western half. The decrease was caused 

 by the late burning of the prairies all over the western 

 half of the State. Settlers were filling this section rap- 

 idly, and it seemed to be the general opinion that all 

 dead grass should be burned, which destroyed all food 

 and insects, starving the birds out and leaving no nest- 



