438 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



conducted during the corn season wherever this crop is grown, and 

 during winter wherever the birds congregate. 



RELATION OF GROUSE TO ORCHARDS. 



During the winter of 1922-23 the bureau received complaints of 

 depredations by ruffed grouse feeding on the buds of apple trees in 

 several of the New England States. In New Hampshire the situa- 

 tion resulted in a public hearing being called at Concord, at which 

 the Biological Survey was represented for the purpose of presenting 

 data on the food habits and economic tendencies of these birds. 

 From the information presented at this hearing and from other 

 sources it is apparent that grouse have become very abundant during 

 the past few years and under some conditions are inflicting damage. 

 Reports to this effect have been substantiated by stomach examina- 

 tion of birds collected. History shows that the abundance of grouse 

 runs in' cycles of years, and it is believed that the present condition 

 is temporary, and that a year or two will see a reduction in their 

 numbers with a resultant decrease of damage. 



WILD-FOWL FOOD RESOURCES. 



Continued progress was made in the survey of aquatic food for 

 wild fowl, work being done in Maine, New York, Minnesota, Michi- 

 gan, and Montana. Owing to the multitude of lakes in Minnesota, 

 work in that State will have to be continued at least one more season 

 before representative bodies of water in all lake regions of the State 

 can be studied. In Montana 25 localities were investigated in carry- 

 ing out a cooperative project, and as a result a report on the wild- 

 duck foods of Montana was prepared for publication. In Michigan 

 another cooperative piece of work was started in which local assist- 

 ance was given investigators of the bureau in a survey of aquatic 

 plant life. In Maine the waters of Lafayette National Park and a 

 few lakes on the near-by mainland were surveyed. In connection 

 with all this work recommendations for the improvement of the 

 waters studied were made to interested persons. 



MISCELLANEOUS WORK IN ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY. 



A preliminary investigation was made of the relation of pelicans 

 to trout and other fish in Pyramid Lake, Nev. It is planned to 

 make a thorough study of this problem during the next breeding 

 season of these birds. 



A special survey of Jekyl Island, Ga., was made, with recommenda- 

 tions for improving conditions for bird life in general. 



Important additions have been made to the reference study collec- 

 tions of various kinds, all of which assist materially in the study of 

 food habits. These included insects, moUusks, crustaceans, other 

 invertebrates, and vertebrates of various kinds, as well as seeds and 

 other plant structures. 



A manuscript on the magpie in relation to agriculture, based on 

 the examination of 547 stomachs, has been prepared. Its publica- 

 tion, however, will be delayed until the results of control experiments 

 planned for the winter of 1923-24 can be incorporated in it. 



