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forest and stream 
Live Notes From The Field 
Being Reports From Our Local Correspondents 
The Eastern Pinnated Grouse 
By Dr. George W. Field 
T HE eastern pinnated grouse or heath hen, 
locally called “heth’en” on Martha’s 
Vineyard, is one of the most interesting 
birds in the world from the fact that it is the 
contemporary of the Great Auk, the Labrador 
duck, passenger pigeon, Eskimo curlew, Caro¬ 
lina paroquet, and, like them, appeared to 
have been marked for extirpation at the hands 
of man. Now, however, it gives promises of 
perpetuation. Formerly abundant from Cape 
Ann to Virginia, especially so in Massachu¬ 
setts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New 
York, particularly so on Long Island, and in 
New Jersey, and probably Maryland and Dela¬ 
ware, the last record in the Connecticut Val¬ 
ley in Massachusetts was in 1813. In 1824 it 
was no longer common around Boston; in 1844 
it was believed to be extinct on Long Island; 
about 1848 it disappeared from Cape Cod, and 
the last bird on the mainland was shot near 
Barnegat, New Jersey, in 1869. 
In 1906 the experiment was conceived of at¬ 
tempting to save from extirpation the last few 
individuals of this species which had persisted 
for some years in the interior of Martha s 
Vineyard. As is well known, these birds re¬ 
sort in the spring to special places for their 
courtship. Those on Martha’s Vineyard were 
ascertained and on May 1, 1906, a careful, 
simultaneous observation, conducted at these 
places, three in number, disclosed but twenty- 
one birds, so near at that time was the species 
to extirpation. In May, 1907, actual count of 
the flocks definitely located in various sections 
of the range showed seventy-seven individuals. 
The eastern bifid was first distinguished 
from the western type by William Brewster 
and described by him under the name of 
Cupidonia cupido. In 1S90 Mr. Brewster esti¬ 
mated that from 120 to 200 birds, inhabiting 
about forty square miles, were left from the 
previous winter. This number slowly but 
surely diminished. 
This bird is of further interest from the fact 
that the original description of Linnaeus was 
doubtless of this eastern species. On Martha’s 
Vineyard the bird was well known and char¬ 
acteristic of the fauna as far back as memory 
or local tradition extends. 
Various attempts were made at restrictive 
legislation; New York was the first to recog¬ 
nize the danger of extinction and in 1785 made 
a close season from April 1 to October 1. New 
Jersey, Massachusetts and Long Island fol¬ 
lowed, but in Massachusetts the state law of 
1843 provided that the law for the preserva¬ 
tion of this grouse or heath hen might be sus¬ 
pended by the towns, and such action was 
usually taken. From 1890 a completely close 
season was in force, but until 1905 there were 
A Typical Specimen 
no systematic attempts to enforce the law, and 
the money secured by sale of the birds was 
sufficiently attractive to encourage violations. 
In 1906 the penalty for violation was raised 
from $20 to $100. By an act of 1907 the Mas¬ 
sachusetts Fish and Game Commission was 
authorized to acquire land by right of eminent 
domain as a refuge for the heath hen; to pro¬ 
vide mounted game warden service to patrol 
against violation of the game laws; to guard 
against forest fires; to construct and maintain 
fire stops; to furnish food in inclement 
weather; to kill feral cats and other vermin 
which prey upon birds. 
Through the co-operation of the towns of 
Tisbury and West Tisbury, the National and 
the Massachusetts Audubon Societies, the Mid¬ 
dlesex Sportsmen’s Association and about 
twenty-five private individuals, about $2,000 
was pledged to purchase land and to assist 
in this work. Since 1907 the number of 
birds has varied from time to time, but in 
general there is a decidedly upward tendency, 
so that at present there are at least 600 birds 
and possibly as many as 1,000 on the island 
inside and outside the reservation. It was 
possible last spring to see 150 birds in sight 
at one time, and flocks of from 30 to 50 are 
frequently seen in various parts of the island. 
Forest fires have been the principal cause of 
destruction, chiefly associated with the fact 
that the hen sets so closely with the eggs or 
young as to permit herself to be destroyed. 
On the reservation where they have not been 
shot for seven years, the birds even now rise 
up out of gunshot when they know that they 
are seen; though if they believe they are un¬ 
seen they will lie very close. 
So far as recorded, only four nests have 
ever been found, chiefly due to the fact that 
the birds apparently cover the eggs with 
leaves when leaving the nest. The period of 
incubation is twenty-four days; the young 
when hatched are remarkably well concealed 
by their protective coloration. At ten days 
they are able to fly considerable distances as 
a result of the very rapid development of the 
primary feathers. At seventy days old they 
are practically mature. The winter feed is 
largely made up of dried berries, acorns, grain, 
clover, the tips and needles of the pitch pine. 
It is a very hardy bird and easily withstands 
the rigors of the northern winter. 
The chief enemy of the heath hen on 
Martha’s Vineyard has been the marsh hawk, 
possibly associated with the fact that the 
island is closely covered with a dense growth 
of scrub oak and other brush, making mice 
difficult to capture. The marsh hawks have 
thus been compelled to turn to more available 
prey. The destruction of birds by marsh 
hawks is therefore merely a local condition of 
perverted appetite. Investigation of forty- 
three stomachs by the United States Bureau 
of Biological Survey disclosed the important 
fact that all but four contained remains of 
heath hens or song birds. The nest of a marsh 
hawk contained remains of one flicker and 
eleven chickens and heath hens. 
Telephone wires have been responsible for 
the destruction of many heath hens, as indi¬ 
cated by the fact that three birds thus killed 
or injured have been found in the past year. 
But without question the worst enemy is the 
domestic cat which wanders out into the in¬ 
terior of the island after having been aban¬ 
doned by the summer cottagers. 
