48 The Ornithology of Chester County 



66. Colinus virginianus virginianus Bobwhite, 

 "partridge," "patridge," "quail." Tolerable com- 

 mon resident in some localities, formerly abundant. 

 I am told that prior to i860, it was not uncommon 

 for two expert sportsmen to kill as high as sixty 

 birds in an afternoon, in this locality. There is 

 now only a trace of the fine local strain, and the 

 introduced stock being from the south or west is 

 only a temporary success, the exodus begins in a 

 short time. 



67. Bonasa umbellus umbellus Ruffed Grouse, 

 "pheasant." Rare resident. The wooded hills on 

 either side of the Chester valley were famous hunt- 

 ing grounds for this king of game birds up to about 

 1880. I have a specimen (No. 160, doll. F. L. B.) 

 taken Nov. 23, 1889, almost the last individual of 

 this once abundant species at Berwyn. Ladd took 

 a set of 12 'eggs, May 9, 1886 (OoL, iii, 40). 



68. Tympanuchus cupido Heath Hen, "barren 

 hen." Dr. Michener lists it as a former resident, 

 now become extinct. Tradition would have us be- 

 lieve that it inhabited the greenbrier thickets, scrub 

 oak groves and sterile sedge fields of the barrens in 

 early Colonial times and as there are ample proof 

 that it existed in very similar situation in the Pocono 

 region ; I am inclined to give it full credence. 



69. Meleagris gallopavo silvestris Wild Turkey. 

 Former resident, now extinct. A few may have 

 existed in some parts of the county, especially the 

 Welsh mountain district; as late as 1830 or even 

 somewhat later, since it is listed by Barnard and 

 Michener; but it had disappeared from the culti- 



