PINNATED GROUSE 



(Tetrao Cupido). 



The pinnated grouse, Prairie Chicken or Prairie Hen, 

 is, in my humble opinion, one of the finest representa- 

 tives of the grouse family to be found in any part of 

 the world. Its habitat is the boundless prairies to the 

 east of the Rocky Mountains, and extends in latitude 

 from that of northern New Mexico, far up into the 

 Dominion ol '^.nada. 



It may not De generally known that twenty-seven 

 distinct species of grouse have been classified by 

 naturalists upon the American continent, all of which 

 are magnificent game birds, and, although they may 

 run the subject of this article a very close race in 

 regard to size and beauty of plumage, to the pinnated 

 grouse, I, as a sportsman, give the palm, for the reason 

 that they frequent open ground, admirably suited for 

 the display of the wonderful qualities of intellect and 

 powers of scent, which is to such an extraordinary 

 extent developed in well-bred setters and pointers. 



From the above statement the reader will see that 

 I am antediluvian enough to prefer shooting over 

 dogs, in spite of all that the rising generation may 

 say to the contrary ; in fact, I am glad to boast of 

 this penchant ; even going further, by asserting that 

 killing game without their assistance, when their 

 services can be utilized, looks to me very much like 

 slaughtering for slaughter's sake. On this matter 

 long dissertations might be written, but at present I 



O 



