208 
BIRDS OF NEW MEXICO 
State Records. —A single line printed more than 60 years ago in one of the Pacific 
Railroad Reports was until recent years the sole authority for the inclusion of the 
Prairie Chicken in the list of New Mexico birds. In January, 1854, Capt. John 
Pope began his exploration of the route along the thirty-second parallel between the 
Rio Grande and the Red River of Texas. By the middle of March the party had 
reached the mouth of Delaware Creek, just where the Pecos crosses from New 
Mexico into Texas. From this camp, Capt. Chas. L. Taplin was sent to explore 
the country to the northeast. On March 11, 1854, Captain Taplin’s report says that 
Prairie Hens were quite numerous. The party was then just inside New Mexico and 
15-20 miles north of the extreme southeastern corner of the State. Six days later 
when about 10 miles over the Texas line he reported “Game wild; nothing killed but 
one Prairie-Chicken.” Two specimens killed during Captain Pope's trip were made 
the types of the species paUidicinctus, but as they were labeled nothing but “Near 
32° L.” it is impossible to say on just what part of the route they were obtained. It 
is probable that they were collected not far from the Clear Fork of the Brazos River 
near the site of the present town of Abilene, at which place large additions were made 
to the natural history collections. 
The two records quoted above—March 11 and March 17—were made in the 
most arid part of the Staked Plains, at least 50 miles from water in all directions. 
As these parts of New Mexico and Texas are not yet thickly settled it may be that a 
few prairie chickens still exist there, but over much of the country a little distance to 
the eastward which is supplied witfrwater and has been long settled, they have en¬ 
tirely disappeared. In the 1910-11 report of the State Game and Fish Warden, Mr. 
Thomas P. Gable, they were said to have been found in Guadalupe and Curry 
Counties; and Capt. M. S. Murray states that at one time they were “very plentiful 
about twenty-seven miles east of Kcnna ... so numerous that Homesteaders 
were anxious to get rid of them on account of destroying the crop.” [In 1918 Mr. 
Ligon stated that they were rather common east of the Pecos River, but that “the 
inhabited range of the bird has receded from the northwest of Portales, on account 
of the coming of rather extensive villages and settlements, where hunting was done.” 
Farther south, since they have been protected, it is said that they have pushed con¬ 
siderably west—east and southeast of Roswell; but it seems probable that from lack of 
suitable territory this western movement can not extend beyond the fertile sandhills 
east of the Pecos River. 
In January, 1919, Ligon investigated the extreme southeastern part of the State, 
which used to be a great winter range, but failed to find any birds or get any evidence 
of their presence later than the previous winter. But on May 18, 1925, he saw about 
25 on a limited area of sand-shinnery country, 40-50 miles south and southwest of 
Portales. One specimen was secured. He was informed that the Portales birds 
migrate well down toward the Texas line, east of Carlsbad in the winter. Hunter 
J. T. Bowman told him that he saw several in the sand country east of Dexter the 
winter before and that they had been found there in previous winters. Albert 
Mitchell of Albert, assured him that there are some in the sand country east of 
Albert. Sportsmen of Nara Visa say some come into that section in winter, probably 
from southeastern Colorado. “A few remain southwest of Clayton and occasional 
stragglers are observed in other sections of their former range. During the last few 
years there has been some increase and evidence of reoccupation of range” (Ligon, 
1927).]—W. W. Cooke. 
Nest. —A slight excavation in the open or among grass or weeds, sparingly or 
thickly lined, according to abundance of material at hand, with grasses and a few 
feathers. Eggs: Usually 11 to 14, grayish olive, or huffy, plain, or spotted with 
fine pin points of reddish brown. 
