412 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
[COPYF.IQHT SECURED.] 
PINNATED GROUSE, OR PRAIRIE CHICKENS. 
This beautiful game bird, now very rare east 
of the Alleghany Mountains, and only found in 
New England on Martha's Vineyard and some 
of the adjacent islands, was once doubtless 
abundant over all the northern United States. 
Even now it is more common upon the prairies 
of the Interior and Western States, than even 
our domestic fowls. Still it is gradually becom- 
iug rare, and the time is not far distant when it 
will, like the wild turkey, be found only in se- 
cluded retreats. This bird is placed by natural- 
ists in a different genus from the Ruffed Grouse, 
or Partridge, which it resembles in many re- 
spects, aud is called Oupidonia cupido. The bird 
is about 16'| 2 inches long, and the plumage is 
barred with whitish brown and brownish yel- 
low, in different degrees of intensity, darker 
above aud of an ashen color beneath. The legs 
are feathered, or rather clothed with an hair-like 
covering ; aud on each side of the neck, coveriug 
a bare spot, is a tuft of slender pointed feathers. 
"When the cocks strut, as they do in the pairing 
time, like a turkey gobbler, these tufts are ex- 
panded and form a sort of half ruffle, aud the 
bare spots of the neck swell out with wind so 
that in some cases they are said to resemble 
oranges. The males utter a peculiar note, called 
tooting, which may be heard a long distance. 
Prairie chickens frequent the dry prairie, avoid- 
ing moisture and thick woods. They breed freely, 
bear severe winters tolerably well, living upon 
acorns, berries, buds, and grass seed, when they 
cannot get grain. During the cold weather they 
are exceedingly abundant, even in our most 
eastern markets. Their flesh is brown, more 
juicy than that of the Partridge, aud very well 
flavored, and will be more and more esteemed. 
This grouse is not migratory, except as it wan- 
ders in the autumn or winter iu search of 
food. At these seasons it is almost invariably 
Drawn and Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
found in companies of teu to twenty, but these 
separate as the pairing season approaches. 
Young birds are easily domesticated, at least so 
as to be perfectly tame, if partially confined ; 
but we have no knowledge of the experiment 
of their thorough domestication being carried 
out. It is highly probable that they might be- 
come so tame as to lose their desire to stray, and 
adapt their manners to man's desires and neces- 
sities as thoroughly as the wild turkey. The 
female lays about a dozen eggs, sharply ovoid 
in shape, and of a dusky drab or grayish color, 
dotted with brown. The nests are well con- 
cealed, and more frequently found by the ruin- 
ous tread of a careless foot than by the eye. 
Those who have tamed them, report that they 
never drink as other birds do, but take the drops 
of rain and dew aud this should not be forgot- 
ten by those who try to domesticate them, for 
they doubtless need water like other poultry. 
