The Heath Hen in New Jersey 



In preparing a report on the game-birds of New Jersey for the game I 

 commission of that state, the editor of Bird - Lore recently visited '\ 

 Barnegat, N. J., to secure from professional gunners there information in I 

 regard to the game-birds of the region. In discussing the status of the 

 Ruffed Grouse, Mr. George H. Van Note spoke of a "Grouse" which ! 

 was said to be common west of Barnegat "about thirty years ago." The j 

 identity of the bird was not suspected at the time; but later, on referring I 

 to Mr. Stone's excellent ' Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey,' i 

 it was learned that Turnbull, writing of the Heath Hen in 1869, said, "Now : 

 very rare. A few are still met with in Monroe and Northampton counties, 

 Pennsylvania, where I have shot the species. Within the last year or two 

 it has also been found on the Jersey Plains." (' Birds of Eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania and New Jersey,' p. 27.) ' 



Both date and locality given in the last sentence quoted agreed with the ] 



information received from Mr. Van Note, who, in response to a request, i 



wrote the following exceedingly interesting letter, adding more to our i 



knowledge of the Heath Hen in New Jersey than was previously recorded, ; 

 and rendering plain the cause of its extinction. It will be remembered that 



the Heath Hen is now confined to the island of Martha's Vineyard, and i 



that it became extinct on Long Island as early as 1844 (see Giraud's ' Birds '■, 



of Long Island,' p. 195). j 



•j 



MR. VAN NOTE'S LETTER ■] 



1 



Barnegat, January 31, 1903. ' 



Mr. Frank M. Chapman: i 



Dear Sir. — I have been away from home. On my return, I find j 



your letter, and will answer it by saying that the Grouse you speak of i 



were the color of a Quail. The male bird had a top knot and some long i 



feathers under his throat, in which there was a pouch that he would fill '< 



with wind and blow, which could be heard for two or three miles. The i 



noise was like that of a man blowing in a conch -shell, and was a means ! 



of calling other birds to it. They were as large as a Guinea Hen. ' 



They would have several places to collect; generally a clear place on the | 



Plains. When together, the male bird would start around with his wings j 



on the ground, like a Turkey gobbler, giving a sort of a whistle. When j 



flying they would raise ten to twelve feet high and go straight as a line, j 



They bred on the plains, and were always found on them. There were ; 



lots of them forty years ago. The way they killed them at that time , 



was to dig a hole in the ground and remove all the sand, so as to make j 



the ground level, then hide in this hole until they came to you. If you ^ 



(5o) ■ : 



