282 rPLAXD SHOOTING. 



blades of grass, weeds, and small twigs; her eggs are laid, 

 the number ranging from eight to twenty, and she 

 patiently sits on her nest day after day, hatching her 

 expected brood. The eggs are about the size of those of 

 the bantam hen, and very similar in appearance, except 

 that the eggs of the prairie chicken are yello^vish white. 

 The young birds are hatched in May or June, depend- 

 ing on the season. If the weather is bright, dry, and 

 warm, the bii'd begins her domestic duties early, and 

 biings forth into the world her tiny brood; if the season 

 is cold and rainy, she delays the days of her motherhood 

 until the season is further advanced. The process of 

 incubation is the same as that of the domestic fowl. 

 Before the birds are hatched, the eggs are liable to be 

 destroyed in many ways — ^by hawks, owls, skunks, and 

 foxes; thus by actual spoliation of the eggs, or by the 

 destruction of the old bird, the expected brood is wiped 

 out of existence. Many and many a bird is slain on her 

 nest by prowling birds and beasts; but the greater causes 

 of destruction of prairie chickens, before they are hatched, 

 are cold spring rains and prairie fires. Frequently, eggs 

 are laid along the edges of creeks — ^lazy, indolent creeks, 

 that flow sluggishly within their confined banks until 

 the spring rains o'erfiU them, when they rush along, 

 sweeping with Avide arms over the valleys and bottom- 

 lands, carrying devastation in their course. The Avater 

 drives the birds from her nest, chills the eggs, and then 

 all is lost; the bird deserts her nest. Worse still than 

 this are the prairie fires, started by the farmer to burn 

 the dried grass from his unfenced field, either to prepare 

 for his plowing or to protect his crops and buildings. 

 He starts with lighted wisp in hand, and bums an area 

 sufficient to guard his property. Slowly, at first, the tiny 

 flame flickers and sparkles, encouraged by the breath or 

 fanned by the hat of the incendiary; then it shoots up 



