Open Nests on the Ground 



even in early fall, two or three broods being reared by a single 

 pair. Incubation occupies 24 days, both birds assisting. Minot, 

 in his book, "The Land Birds and Game Birds of New Eng- 

 land," says, " It is not uncommon to find a covey of young quail 

 hardly able to fly even in November." 



The nest is fairly easy to find, especially when the parent 

 bird is not sitting, as the white eggs are very conspicuous ; but 

 when the old bird is on the nest her protective colouring serves 

 its purpose and makes her difficult to see. A likely place for the 

 nest is on a farm, in the dry, grassy fields, or along the farm roads 

 where there is a rank growth of weeds. 



289a. Florida Bob-white: C. v. floridanus (Coues) 



This is a sub-species of the more northern quail, being 

 smaller and darker in colour. Length — 8.50. The breeding 

 habits are described as identical, except that "they begin to 

 pair early in March." 



305. Prairie Hen: Tympanuchus americanus (Reich.) 



Adult s — " Upper parts barred with rufous and black, and spotted 

 with rufous ; sides of the neck with tufts generally com- 

 posed of ten or more narrow, stiffened black feathers marked 

 with buffy and rufous, their ends rounded, the skin beneath 

 these tufts bare ; tail rounded, fuscous, the inner feathers 

 somewhat mottled with ochraceous-buff, tip white, throat 

 buffy, breast and belly white, evenly barred with black. 



Adi//t 2 — "Similar, but the neck tufts much smaller and the tail 

 barred with ochraceous or rufous. Length — 18.00." (Chap- 

 man.) 



Breeding Range — The prairies of the Mississippi Valley, east to 

 Kentucky and western Ohio, and north to southern Mani- 

 toba. 



The nest, which is placed iiv a slig! 1; hollow in the ground, is 

 made of grasses and feathers; it is usually found in the prairie 

 grass, " and at the foot of bushes on the barren ground." 8 to 

 14 eggs are laid; they are grayish buff, sometimes speckled with 

 brown. Size — 1.70 x 1.25. 



The Prairie Hen is said to be now much less common 

 throughout its eastern range than it was formerly, though it is 



36 



