ON THE USEFULNESS OF BIRDS. 345 



degree. Probably few sold more, and the greater number of them sold less, than 

 the above lirm, but 12 would probably be a fair average for all. This would make 

 120 prairie-chickens and quail sold per day, or 18,000 for 150 days. Those that 

 were captured by the sporting-men of the town and not taken to the butcher-shops I 

 do not include in this estimate. It is safe to conclude that half this number were 

 captured and consumed in the country ; and this would make the whole number from 

 this source 27,000. But even this is not all. In fall and winter vast numbers were 

 formerly shipped to Eastern markets, and are still from some sections of the West. 

 The following statement of S. P. Benadom, who was formerly engaged in shipping 

 prairie-chickens, will give some idea of the enormous numbers that were formerly 

 captured for this purpose : 



Dear Sir : In answer to your inquiry I have only this to say: During the winter of 

 1875 I was engaged in shipping prairie-chickens, quail, and other game to the Eastern 

 cities, principally Boston and New York. I was only shipping about six weeks, and 

 during that time I sent off 19,000 prairie-chickens and 18,700 quail. About one-half of 

 these were caught in Lancaster County. I cannot tell how many other parties, who 

 were engaged in the same business, shipped. But I am satisfied the destruction of 

 these birds ought to be stopped, because 1 know that they destroy grasshoppers. The 

 contents of their stomachs show that. — [S. P. Benadom, Lincoln, Nebr., November 

 5, 1877. 



The following I have received from Richardson County : 



Dear Sir: * * * The number of chickens (prairie) shipped from this place in 

 1874 was 2,400 and of quail 900. In 1875 there were shipped of prairie-chickens 1,800 

 and of quail 1,200. What the larger towns of the county sent off I do not know ; but 

 those shipped are a small part of those killed. — [S. M. WiUebert, P. M., Humboldt, 

 Richardson County, Nebr., December 7, 1877. 



Dear Sir : » * * From the best information that 1 have been able to gather on 

 the subject, there were about 6,000 prairie-chickens and 2,500 quail shipped from this 

 point in the year 1874, and perhaps half as many in 1875. The figures are mere ap- 

 proximations, and I give them as such, as entire accuracy is now impossible. — [Isham 

 Reavis, Falls City, Nebr., November 30, 1877. 



The above, from Hon. Ibham Reavis, shows the large number shipped from Falls 

 City. The estimates that I have received from Rulo, another large town on the same 

 railroad in this county, are only guesses. One guess made them 6,000 and another 

 3,000, but taking the last figure we can be sure that there were shipped from the three 

 towns of this county in 1874 not less than 11,400 prairie-chickens and 4,400 quail, be- 

 sides what were consumed at home. 



The following is the estimate from Johnson County, Nebraska, forwarded by Hon. C. 

 A. Holmes, a regent of the State university : 



Dear Sir : I have made some inquiry concerning the number of prairie-chickens 

 shipped out of our county. There were shipped from Tecumseh by one firm 6,500 

 prairie-chickens during the winter of 1874-75. and about 3,500 from Sterling during 

 the same time. Total, 10,000 from our county. During the same time some quail 

 were shipped, but not such large numbers, probably about 6,000. But this is an esti- 

 mate. The number of chickens is ascertained from parties who know. 



I knew a great many chickens were shipped, but had no idea that so many were 

 sent away. In addition to the number shipped you can easily say that at least 2,000 

 more were consumed in the county, as people generally lived on game that winter. — 

 [C. A. Holmes, Tecumseh, Nebr., November 10, 1877. 



Sir: In answer to yours of September 30, let me say that I find it impossible to ascer- 

 tain the number of prairie-chickens shipped from this county in 1874. When I was in 

 town last week I^made some inquiries, and the estimates ranged from 4,000 to 10,000 

 and about half that number of quail. For 1875 there were nearly as many. But, judg- 

 ing from the number that I knew were caught, there must have been not less than 20,000 

 prairie-chickens destroyed in 1874 in this county alone. — [James E. Balden, Pawnee 

 City, Nebr., November 1, 1877. 



There were vast numbers ofprairie-chickens also shipped from Cass and Sarpy Counties 

 in these years, but I have not been able, after the most diligent efforts, to obtain esti- 

 mates that can be depended on. For Cass they vary from 6,000 to 15,000, and for Sarpy 

 from 5,000 to 11,000. The same can be said of Douglas, Washington, and Burt Counties. 



