The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-09-20
MASSACHUSETTS,
new GAME LAWS,
Efforts to Preserve, uast Floct
Of the Heath
Hen.

the distinction of being, t1ife abiding
place of a species~of the. fsea ttaered tribe
which is found in NJ, othee7- place In the
world. and this stateLsaeAt, aAsys the
Boston Transcript, is he. z1oore remark
able when 1t is considercal that at one
time In the country's history these birdss
We're scattered thickly t~srnuxhout the:
whole of the territory Cares
Ann and Virginia.
This almos extinct bird IL the PIN
mated grouse or heath heSsl; IA, an 1t 10,
called for short, the '.heatEaern.. 1t wass
from a heath hen. sale! ITO have beens
found in Virginia. that E~1-islaasus de-
scribed the prairie hen OF prairie chick,
en-. and 1t was not till lonxS years artery
this distinguished naturalist haA bee1at
gathered to his fathers ttllaIt Wiliarrai
Brewster, OF Cambridge AN eminent
ornfthologist, made the Interesting dis
coNery and gave it to ,tlss. world, THAI
the heath hen of the. Atlantic coast
states and the prairie co, s,acen OF the
range lands of the mids,k- west wers$
two distinct species.
To the ordinary observer. who only
notes the difference bet wes>e1. the crow
and the blackbird by stating that botha
are black. only the crow .iss larger thoslss
the ~blackbird. this same aAR.awer might
be given In relation to thecgSzxlirie chick,
eli and the heath hen, Err they sec11es
alike in color. but he ary1f1er il largers
than the latter. But when,tt1ey are ex3
amined carefully there arrssrlany distin-
gushing differences whfss1 are accury
ately noted in all modern, {hf1d books tos
which the student or hose. particularly
Interested can readily rt7@sE-
Live in Colonaex.
In a little reservation which these
birds seen to have picked esr,t US a place
where they may quietly ezsi1 their exist
ence there is now about LING Apeciu7ens
Doubtless these would Acknowledgements
entirely had 1t not been fcxrGtte activity
OF the fish and game cornuitiEskan of the
commonwealth. Now a~crsssHMkterg have:
been taken to stop thefr- destruction
and to re-establish then4, Inznou,x the
game birds of the coszszttry. Even
now" the commission starraS. 1he NUM-
Der is so reduced that the AHlfng c6 one
bird may nave serious efrsels.~
A hundred years ago thesse stnirx1s ssere
80 numerous and so coKkHsIs6l IN article
Of food that In some of tssse Now Eng
land states a penalty wsuss crowded by
law. to By inflicted upon amy masteE
who should, feed his apruesffce with
the flesh oftcner than twsfre n week.
today 1t would cost nm erac,sre. should
he venture to tickle his pspasrfe with one.
OF these birds. the sum ar 4ls0. ana.
several other dollar ON. tttze side. DR..
George w. Field. chairmzxs snf the com
mission. is most enthusiastic In the ef-
forts that are&being made 40 inssre the
pe~rpetuatton OF this spec.Ap- He has.
studied the hen on ita rzsdfixe heath,
learned its little ecenrric1tS-G and cuEs--
ceits. and has urged upon the leIisla-.
ture the necessity OF imnasI1ki1e action
and from al appearances sl,e heath.
hen is destined to live xxsxl .becnme n.
feature iH the bird life Of aalae .eon1mo1a-
wealth.
Enemy Of Egyptian Msta.
But the saving of this kt5xa is not NJ
together for the ~ sHt Killing him
when he gets more nume.rSzlS. 1t may
be that the heath hen is ftfs> very en-
envy for which we have Reen 1eekdne
to the Eypss ansth. Itz
food IN the summer time. If largely o1
insects. and from its habT1 WI .perrffnx
upon the low branches OF Trees It has !.
E most excellent opportuESrx III getting
at these insect pests thar 1xre the uu-
doing Of our, shade and fcuzsa1 trees.
A year ago" DR.. Field EIErn scyeraI :
habits and making notes From these
1t appears that the bird ETves sne the
impression of admirable AdaSseafisn to-,
the open country--a IaxEx. muscular
hardy. vigorous bird able ss withxtanG
snow and sleet in size e9nnsEeu1 even e--
1nhabfting- open fields avg xastur1
su6ststlng on insects. lea v~.s. Beeda ana
wild berries, in a country N.4i1ha1e the ab--
sence Of foxes and raccoonx the
number OF its enemies EHnxtiuu1ly to
cats. men. skupks, field mSca- Ana rarely
maintaining and bringing Esrdk The hard
to Its former abundance nsruss xrar-
ticable.r
II the law passed a year 7sr;D IL .ron-
piled with. and local pride y9lould instr
upon tins, there is no Que.kfi1n but =
few years hence the heatk, Ahen win be-
a common game bird n,xa 1urnTsh ,
abundant food for the leg1tFrrxarr lxt,uutr.
man. 1t Is said that it's ..f2eSk il dark.
OF delicate texture ard de25E1tJxls tlavoss-