Notes on the Winter Birds of Arkansas. 13 



continue to thrive forever. The birds are small and dark as 

 compared with northern quail. Some specimens really re- 

 mind one very much of the Florida birds. Their habit of 

 treeing very easily and their short lowering flight at times 

 bring to mind the little "Bob' of the Florida woods. They 

 are strongly inclined to melanism. One specimen has a per- 

 fect jet-black throat-patch. Careful measurement of length 

 in a large series gives the following results : — 



$ 2 



Largest 9-90 10.20 



Smallest 9.00 9.00 



Average 9.66 9-7 2 



Average length of wing is £ 4.39, $ 4-3§. The bills of a 

 large per cent, are entirely jet black. 



Tympanuchus americanus. Prairie Hen. The prairie 

 chickens were very common on all the open prairies during 

 our first two visits, but seem to have sadly suffered from too 

 persistent hunting. The sportsmen from Memphis, Little 

 Rock, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, and even St. Louis, flock 

 here on the opening day (Sept. 1), and the range being com- 

 paratively small, this rather isolated colony of America's 

 finest game-bird seems almost threatened with extinction in 

 the near future. The opening date for shooting should evi- 

 dently be much later in the season to afford much protec- 

 tion for the game. 



Meleagris gallopavo fera. Wild Turkey. Still fairly 

 common. A good many were killed in November, 1900. 



Zenaidura macroura. Mourning Dove. Common all 

 winter. 



Cathartes aura. Turkey Vulture. Abundant. 



Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. Common. 



Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Hawk. Some of the Red- 

 tails were evidently typical borealis. Common. 



Buteo borealis harlani. Harlan's Hawk. I take it that 

 this race is fairly common here ; some specimens shot, at 

 least, were typical. 



