218 



FOOD HABITS AND REQUIREMENTS 



spring foods, ranking sixth while beech is twenty-seventh, whereas over the rest of tJie State 

 during the same season heech is third and sumach a poor eleventh. 



Broad-leaved evergreens are supplied largely by the wood fern except in the Catskills 

 where mountain laurel is frequently taken. In the Adirondacks. partridge-berry, hawkweed 

 and wood sorrel also are used to some extent. 



There are few significant differences between animal items taken in the three regions at any 

 season of the year. 



TABLE 28. REGIONAL VARIATION IN THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT PLANT FOODS 

 OF ADULT GROUSE FOR EACH SEASON— NEW YORK 



Yearly \'akiations in Consumption di- Foon Items 



A conipai Imiii oI ihc fnods taken bv grouse over an 11-vear period brings to light some 

 interesting inconsistencies (table 29). In glancing over this table, one might conclude that 

 the birds exhibit little conlinuitv of taste year bv \car. This is especially pu/.zling wlicn 

 the parts eaten arc largely buds or calkins, as in the asi)cns and the hop-hornbeam, the quan- 

 tities of which, available vcar bv vear, apparcnih arc iniicb llic same. Another grou[) in 



