﻿16 
  GKOUSE 
  AND 
  WILD 
  TURKEYS 
  OF 
  TOTTED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  of 
  its 
  food. 
  This 
  fact 
  perhaps 
  may 
  be 
  a 
  useful 
  hint 
  to 
  anyone 
  who 
  

   attempts 
  to 
  introduce 
  the 
  bird 
  or 
  to 
  improve 
  its 
  environment. 
  The 
  

   other 
  fruit 
  found 
  was 
  of 
  little 
  importance 
  — 
  merely 
  0.78 
  percent. 
  It 
  

   was 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  domestic 
  cherries, 
  woodbine 
  berries, 
  sumac, 
  poison 
  

   ivy, 
  huckleberries, 
  strawberries, 
  partridge 
  berries, 
  mistletoe, 
  wild 
  

   grapes, 
  the 
  berries 
  of 
  Solatium 
  and 
  Symphoricarpus, 
  and 
  cornel 
  

   (Cornus 
  asperifolia) 
  . 
  Of 
  the 
  frugivorous 
  habits 
  of 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen 
  

   Audubon 
  writes 
  : 
  a 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  western 
  country, 
  at 
  the 
  approach 
  of 
  winter, 
  these 
  birds 
  frequent 
  the 
  

   tops 
  of 
  the 
  sumach 
  bushes, 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  their 
  seeds, 
  often 
  in 
  such 
  numbers 
  that 
  I 
  

   have 
  seen 
  the 
  bushes 
  bent 
  by 
  their' 
  weight. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  important 
  to 
  note 
  that 
  often 
  when 
  deep 
  snow 
  causes 
  scarcity 
  

   of 
  other 
  supplies 
  the 
  sumac 
  affords 
  both 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen 
  and 
  the 
  bob- 
  

   white 
  abundant 
  food. 
  As 
  with 
  the 
  insect 
  food, 
  further 
  investigation 
  

   undoubtedly 
  will 
  extend 
  the 
  fruit 
  list. 
  

  

  The 
  prairie 
  hen 
  eats 
  a 
  much 
  smaller 
  proportion 
  of 
  seeds, 
  with 
  the 
  

   exception 
  of 
  grain, 
  than 
  the 
  bobwhite, 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  is 
  less 
  useful 
  

   than 
  the 
  latter 
  bird. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  a 
  better 
  weeder 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  

   grouse, 
  and 
  its 
  services 
  in 
  this 
  particular 
  are 
  worthy 
  of 
  consideration. 
  

   As 
  before 
  stated, 
  seeds 
  make 
  14.87 
  percent 
  of 
  the 
  annual 
  diet. 
  Of 
  

   these, 
  grass 
  seeds 
  form 
  1.03 
  percent; 
  seeds 
  of 
  various 
  polygonums, 
  

   8.49 
  percent, 
  and 
  miscellaneous 
  weed 
  seeds, 
  5.35 
  percent. 
  When 
  the 
  

   nature 
  of 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen's 
  habitat 
  is 
  recalled 
  it 
  seems 
  strange 
  that 
  the 
  

   percentage 
  of 
  grass 
  seed 
  is 
  so 
  small. 
  The 
  bobwhite, 
  in 
  contrast, 
  takes 
  

   9.46 
  percent 
  of 
  grass 
  seed. 
  Like 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  and 
  other 
  granivorous 
  

   birds, 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen 
  often 
  eats 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  species 
  of 
  

   panicums, 
  the 
  paspalums, 
  and 
  pigeon 
  grass 
  (Chcetochloa 
  viridis). 
  

  

  The 
  seeds 
  of 
  different 
  polygonums, 
  or 
  smartweeds, 
  play 
  an 
  impor- 
  

   tant 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  economy 
  of 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen. 
  They 
  form 
  8.49 
  percent 
  

   of 
  the 
  food. 
  These 
  plants 
  grow 
  profusely 
  where 
  illy 
  drained 
  regions 
  

   of 
  the 
  plains 
  are 
  under 
  water 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  months 
  in 
  the 
  year. 
  Black 
  

   bindweed 
  {Polygonum 
  convolvulus) 
  and 
  smartweed 
  (Polygonum 
  

   I 
  apathi 
  folium) 
  , 
  with 
  the 
  closely 
  related 
  dock 
  (Rumex 
  crispus), 
  are 
  

   included 
  in 
  the 
  bill 
  of 
  fare. 
  Of 
  the 
  5.35 
  percent 
  of 
  remaining 
  mis- 
  

   cellaneous 
  seeds, 
  ragweed 
  (Ambrosia 
  art 
  emisim 
  folia) 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  

   important 
  element, 
  but 
  is 
  insignificant 
  in 
  amount 
  when 
  compared 
  

   with 
  the 
  same 
  element 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite's 
  food. 
  Other 
  composite 
  

   are 
  eaten 
  by 
  the 
  prairie 
  hen 
  — 
  wild 
  sunflower, 
  coreopsis 
  (Coreopsis 
  

   car 
  damine 
  folia) 
  , 
  and 
  others. 
  The 
  prairie 
  hen 
  has 
  a 
  liking 
  for 
  

   legumes, 
  reminding 
  one 
  again 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite. 
  It 
  selects 
  two 
  of 
  the 
  

   latter's 
  favorites 
  — 
  cassia, 
  and 
  the 
  hog 
  peanut 
  (Falcata 
  comosa). 
  It 
  

   takes 
  also 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  a 
  closely 
  related 
  plant, 
  the 
  prairie 
  mimosa 
  

   (Acuan). 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  feed 
  on 
  seeds 
  of 
  water 
  willow 
  

   (Dianthera 
  sp.), 
  the 
  yellow 
  false 
  garlic 
  (N 
  othoscordum 
  bivale), 
  

  

  a 
  Ornith. 
  Biog., 
  II, 
  p. 
  501, 
  1835. 
  

  

  