DIET 197 



are commonly picked up, but often prove too resistant for the gizzard to crack. Yet through- 

 out the colder portions of the year the stony seeds of staghorn sumach, with their thin hairy 

 covering, are a favorite with New York grouse. Likewise the composition and nutrients present 

 in various grouse foods vary widely, as is indicated by the section on "Food and Its Relation 

 to Health" (p. 235). Lastly, there is little indication of the presence among grouse of an ability 

 to pick and choose only or primarily those foods from which they can secure a balanced diet. 



Considering the 414 plant and 580 animal items that grouse are known to eat in New York, 

 one finds such factors as distribution and availability exercising a marked influence on the 

 diet. In Michigan and Wisconsin, where clover grows commonly along the woods-roads, it 

 is much eaten, but in New York, clover, in such situations, is scarce, and the grouse accord- 

 ingly turn to a variety of other plants. In the far North. Nelson^^ indicates that the gray ruffed 

 grouse (Bonasa umhelliis umbeUoides)* may browse extensively on spruce buds, whereas 

 Loomis"""'. writing of South Carolina "pheasants" reports that the birds feed freely on mul- 

 berries. Though locally present, neither of these foods are to be noted in abundance thruout 

 all New York's grouse range. In examining 1,633 specimens, few traces of either of them 

 were found. 



In individual cases large meals were made by New York birds from no fewer than 54 

 species of plants. Scarcely more than a dozen, however, were found to have been eaten 

 commonly in large quantities. In other words, williin wide limits, the grouse is apt to make 

 a meal on any one of numerous locally available jdarils that may suit the fancy of the hour. 



Despite such peculiarities, the species seems to lliii\c jki fcclly well on ils varied diet, and 

 one. therefore, feels quite justified in attaching considerable importance to the foods that are 

 most frequently taken. 



Foods Eaten and Famii.iks Rkpresented 



Basically the grouse is a vegetarian, although for the first few weeks of ils existence it may 

 live largely on insects. The adults, in summer take a fairly large variety of animal items, 

 though, these for the most part, are small insects. In bulk they represent but 3.9 per cent 

 of the total food. The rate of consumption drops to only 0.6 per cent in the fall, and to 

 much smaller amounts in winter and spring, so that in the course of a year only 1.1 per cent 

 of animal material is taken to 98.9 per cent vegetable. 



Presentations of food habits data often result in impressing the reader mainly with the 

 detailed nature of the studies carried out. It is easy to lose oneself in a maze of facts and 

 figures. To facilitate understanding of an adniittedb complicated subject, the foods most 

 important in New York, both plant and animal, are here first summarized and discussed as 

 a whole. Then the parts are analyzed lest the summary itself be misinterpreted. Accordingly 

 seasonal variations are discussed separately, as are also the differences between the feeding 

 habits in the three major regions of the State — Adirondacks, Catskills. and the remainder 

 of the State. 



Foods differ by years also, as do those taken by the young, in contrast to the mature birds. 

 These, too. are separately considered. 



To understand the whole before picking it apart, judging only from the amount taken, the 

 most important ])lant and animal foods of adult grouse are incorporated in table 25. 



This list may contain various surprises for the average grouse hunter skilled largely in 

 noting the numbers of beechnuts and berries year by year in relation to the abundance of 



* Now B. u. yukonensis. 



