Part 6

The Canada Ruffed Grouse (B. u. togata), of northern New England and northwards is grayer above and more distinctly barred below.

PRAIRIE CHICKEN

Tympanuchus americanus

The Prairie Hen has a rounded or nearly square tail and a barred breast; in the Sharp-tailed Grouse the tail is pointed, the breast with V-shaped markings. L. 18.

Range. Central Plains region from Texas to Manitoba, east to Indiana. Migratory at its northern limits.

Glen Ellyn, P.R. local, S.E. Minn., P.R. much decreased in numbers.

The Ruffed Grouse sounds his rolling, muffled drum-call in the seclusion of the forest, but the Prairie Hen beats his loud boom-ah-boom in the open freedom of the plains. Hardy and strong of wing, he can cope with winter storms and natural enemies, but against the combined assault of man, dog, and gun, he cannot successfully contend.

About a dozen buff-olive eggs are laid on the ground in April or early May.

HEATH HEN

Tympanuchus cupido

This is a close relative of the Prairie Hen, having the black neck-tuft of less than ten feathers with pointed, not rounded, ends. It is now found only on the Island of Martha's Vineyard, but formerly inhabited plains or barrens, locally, from New Jersey to Massachusetts. It nests in June.

TURKEYS. FAMILY MELEAGRIDÆ

WILD TURKEY

Meleagris gallopavo silvestris

The Wild Turkey was formerly found as far north as Maine and Ontario but it is unknown now north of central Pennsylvania. South of Maryland it is not uncommon locally.

Range. Kansas and central Pennsylvania to the Gulf coast, and northern Florida. Non-migratory.

Washington, rare P.R.

Our domestic Turkey is descended from the Mexican Wild Turkey and like that race has the upper tail-coverts and tail tipped with whitish, whereas in our eastern Wild Turkey these tips are chestnut. The nest is on the ground and 10-14 eggs, pale cream-color finely speckled with brownish, are laid in April.

The Florida Wild Turkey (M. g. osceola), of southern Florida, is smaller and the white bars on the primaries are narrower and more broken.

PIGEONS AND DOVES. ORDER COLUMBÆ

PIGEONS AND DOVES. FAMILY COLUMBIDÆ

MOURNING DOVE

Zenaidura macroura carolinensis. Case 3, Fig. 3; Case 5, Fig. 11

Except the southern little Ground Dove, this is our only Dove. Its long, pointed tail and the swift, darting flight are its field characters. It is often mistaken for the Wild or Passenger Pigeon, now extinct. The two birds differ in size and in color, but size is a matter of distance, and color, of comparison, so it seems probable that as long as there is a possibility of seeing a Passenger Pigeon, Mourning Doves will be mistaken for them. L. 11-3/4. The Wild Pigeon is about five inches longer.

Range. North America. In a railway journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific one may expect to see the Dove daily. Winters from Virginia southward, migrating northward in March.

Washington, P.R., common, except in midwinter. Ossining, common S.R., Mch. 3-Nov. 27; a few winter. Cambridge, rather rare T.V., Apl. 8-June 18; Sept. 18-Nov. 15. N. Ohio, common S.R., Mch. 20-Oct. 25; rare W.V. Glen Ellyn, tolerably common S.R., formerly common, Mch. 12-Oct. 21. S.E. Minn., common S.R., Mch. 15-Dec. 25.

Doves are particularly common in the southern states where, ranked as game-birds, they are shot in large numbers. The Wild Pigeon's note was an explosive squawk; the Dove's is a soft, mournful coo-oo-ah, coo-o-o-coo-o-o-coo-o-o-. During the winter, Doves are usually found in small flocks but, unlike the Wild Pigeon, they nest in scattered pairs. The nest is in a tree or on the ground. Two white eggs are laid in April.

GROUND DOVE