72 THE SPECIES— ITS TAXONOMY, RANGE. BIOLOGY. & ECONOMIC IMP0RT.4NCE 



During the seasons of 1937 and 1938, measurements were recorded for 366 grouse eggs in 

 30 nests on the Connecticut Hill area. The average of this group was 39 x 29 millimeters. 

 The largest egg measured 49 x 33, although the next largest were 42 x 31 and 39 x 32 milli- 

 meters respectively. The smallest was 36 x 28 millimeters. 



Regarding size, Bendire" states: 



"The average measurement of forty-four specimens (of B. u. umbellus) in the United 

 States National Museum collection is 38.5 by 30 millimeters, the largest egg of the series 

 measuring 40 by 32. the smallest 33 by 25 millimeters." 



The type clutch of this group was secured near Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, but no locality 

 for the others is given. 



Bent" records the average of seventy-three eggs as 38.9 by 29.6 millimeters. This group 

 seems to have included that reported by Bendire since the extremes are identical except for 

 maximum length which in the latter was 42.7 millimeters. 



In Maine, a clutch of twelve eggs measured by Knight^" averaged 37.8 x 29.4 milli- 

 meters*, while a series of nine from Maryland"" (apparently not from the same clutch) 

 averaged 41.4 x 29.7 millimeters*. 



Occasionally abnormally small eggs are encountered and the Investigation has recorded one 

 double yolked egg. 



According to Bent" the eggs of the various subspecies are indistinguishable, akhough those 

 of sabirti show a possible tendency to be "slightly darker in color and somewhat more often 

 spotted." 



EMBRYOLOGY^ 



The question of which came first, the grouse or the egg. may not be pertinent, but to what 

 degree the egg controls the future destiny of the grouse is certainly of utmost importance. 

 An investigation of the embryonic stage, therefore, was one of the first natural steps in trying 

 to discover the underlying factors which cause the fluctuations in abundance of this unpre- 

 dictable bird. 



PREVIf;\V OF THK PROBLEMS 



With grouse, however, the saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch" should 

 include "and live". Both the hatchability of the eggs and the livability of the chicks are vital 

 to maintaining population levels. Furthermore, they are closely related. In studying the 

 eggs with respect to their bearing on these factors, many other problems had to be taken into 

 consideration also and attempts made to solve them, either in whole or in part. 



Among these was the quality of the eggs and whether or not it varied between years or even 

 during the same season. Also involved were the influence of climatic or solar changes, the 

 function of essential food ingredients and variations in their supply and the effects of dif- 

 ferences in egg conformation on both the growth of the embryo and the mortality of the 

 chicks. 



HalchabilUy 



Will the egg hatch? If it has been fertilized, it may. But there is no way to find out 



• Thrm. mcaMUrrmrlilH were Kivrn by the autllnrs in incheii but liavt- liiTii riiiitrrteil In iiiilliiiicteiK fttr citiiiparAbilily. 

 A The rxperiini-nli* dinrtiHsfil under this headinE were carried on by Dr. A. I.. Komannff of Cornell Vniversily, collaborating willi 

 the InTeatigalion. 



