NO. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 2JI 



beetles, May-beetles, such weevils as the corn billbug, the im- 

 bricated snout-beetle, the clover leaf weevil, and the Mexican 

 cotton boll-weevil, the striped garden caterpillar, the army-worm, 

 the cotton worm, the boll worm, various species of cutworms, 

 the corn-louse ant, the red-legged grasshopper, the Rocky Moun- 

 tain locust, and the chinch bug. Some of these pests are relished, 

 for a dozen army-worms or cutworms are frequently eaten at a 

 meal. Thirty Rocky Mountain locusts have been found in a single 

 crop. Weevils are greatly sought after, 47 cotton boll-weevils, 

 having been eaten in a morning by one Bob-white. Striped 

 cucumber beetles are destroyed by the score, potato beetles by the 

 hundred, and chinch bugs by the tablespoonful." 



Dr. Judd finds that the grain forms only one-fourth of the 

 food, corn and wheat being preferred (corn, 19 per cent; wheat, 

 3 per cent) ; but that this was almost entirely obtained by glean- 

 ing among the stubble, not a single sprouting kernel having been 

 found among the crops and stomachs examined. 



Although &y 2 per cent of the food consists of fruit, this is 

 largely taken during December, and consists chiefly of sumac 

 berries. Leaves and buds are only a small portion of its food, 

 and these are principally of yellow sorrel, sheep sorrel, and red 

 and white clover. 



From its life in the woods the Ruffed Grouse or Partridge 

 (Bonasa umbellus umbellus) is not of as direct economic im- 

 portance as the Quail. Dr. A. K. Fisher of the Biological Survey 

 finds (Weed and Dearborn, " Birds in their Relation to Man," 

 pp. 224-6) , that they are " very fond of grasshoppers and 

 crickets," caterpillars also often entering into their diet. " Beech- 

 nuts, chestnuts, and acorns of the chestnut and white oaks are 

 also common articles of food. Among berries, early in the season, 

 the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and elderberries are 

 eaten with relish, while, later in the year, wintergreen, partridge- 

 berry, with their foliage, sumach-berries (including those of the 

 poisonous species), cranberries, black alder, dogwood, nanny- 

 berries, and wild grapes form their chief diet. In the fall the 

 foliage of plants often forms a large part of their food, that of 

 clover, strawberry, buttercup, wintergreen, and partridge-berry 

 predominating. In the winter these birds feed on the buds of 

 trees, preferring those of the apple tree, ironwood, black and 

 white birch, and poplar. 



