

PINNATED GROUSE 249 



southern half of the Lower Peninsula, and up to twenty 

 years ago was abundant in many places in the prairie 

 regions of the three southernmost tiers of counties. 

 Even ten years ago it was not uncommon in this county 

 (Ingham), and undoubtedly a few still exist here. I 

 am not able to say positively where it is most abun- 

 dant now, but my latest reports, some two and three 

 years ago, indicated that there were still a good many 

 in Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties, and 

 it is fair to presume that they were locally common in 

 the three counties south of those and bordering 

 Indiana. 



"There are vague Michigan accounts of the presence 

 of this species along the Lake Michigan shore as far 

 north as Traverse City, fifty years ago, but I have no 

 reason to believe that the species has ever been common 

 north of the Saginaw Grand Valley in about latitude 

 43^2. The sharp-tailed grouse may at one time have 

 existed in the upper part of the Lower Peninsula and 

 in parts of the Upper Peninsula, but at present it is not 

 known to occur except in Isle Royale in Lake Superior, 

 where there appears to be a flourishing colony, but as 

 yet I have been unable to obtain specimens so as to 

 determine positively the sub-species/' 



It would seem perfectly practicable to reintroduce 

 this bird in eastern localities where once it was abun- 

 dant, but this of course could be done only in situations 

 where the bird would be sure to be protected; in other 

 words, in large preserves. It is conceivable that the 

 birds might live and do well on some of the large 



