204 FOOD HABITS AM) REQUIREMENTS 



the summer, especially from the young birds. Many seeds of one genus, Carex, have been 

 reported eaten by individual birds. Apparently tlie broods during dry seasons often fre- 

 quent the raoister spots where the vegetation remains luxurious. Here too are found many 

 of the sedges. As early as June 16, a chick collected in the Catskills had eaten 269 seeds 

 representing six species. July records include those of crops from the Adirondacks filled 

 with 1,800 seeds, from the Southern Tier with 1,515, and from the Catskills with 2,200. One 

 adult taken in the middle of July had stripped some 4,200 seeds from Carex crinila as well 

 as a few from three other species. The large-seeded bladder sedge fC. intumescens), eaten 

 by 101 birds, is also worthy of mention, as is the slender-stalked sedge (C. debilis, var. rudgei), 

 fed upon by 119 grouse. 



The Honeysuckle Family. Some niav be surprised that the widely-scattered viburnums and 

 dogwoods do not have a more prominent place among grouse foods. The former plants be- 

 long to the honeysuckle family (Capriofoliaceae) along with the little-touched snowberries 

 ( Symphoricarpos) and the elderberries (Sambucus). Both the early fruiting, red-berried 

 elder (5. racemosa) that loves the woods edges, and its more open-growing cousin, the com- 

 mon elderberry (S. canadensis) however, have fruit that is well off the ground at a time 

 when other food is abundant and for both reasons may be little attractive to grouse. Com- 

 pared with other birds, the grouse, though favoring the red-berried elder, does not eat as 

 much of the fruit of either species as might be expected. 



It is the viburnums that are the real source of grouse food in this family. Among fall 

 fruits they rank seventh in importance, just three steps ahead of the dogwoods. The fruits 

 of all native species are taken, though usually in small amounts. The maple-leaved vibur- 

 num (Viburnum aceriloliuni), a woodland species, provided 74 fruits and seeds for one 

 bird collected in Schoharie County (N.Y.) on October 5. The fruits of moisture-loving vi- 

 burnums also are not overlooked, as is evidenced by a bird collected on December 28 from 

 the Red River, a wilderness area jn Hamilton County (N.Y.) which had swallowed 221 fruits 

 of the withe-rod or buckbrush ^F. cassinoides) The brilliant red fruits of the highbush cran- 

 i)erry (I', opulus) are but slightly less attractive to grouse. Two Adirondack birds, one killed 

 October 29, the other a month later, had swallowed 57 and 83 of these fruits, respectively. 

 A really ambitious bird, found near Klniira (N.Y.) on November 5. had managed to collect 

 20 red fruits of liighbush cranberry, 42 blue fruits of arrow-wood (V. denlatuni), 25 brown 

 beechnuts and nine other items. 



The Maple Family. It is surprising to find the maple family (Aceraceae) important as 

 a source of food largely in the summer. Then two of the smaller maples, mountain (Acer 

 spicalum) and striped (A. penns\lvanuuiii ) . frequenters of the undcrstor\ of the open woods, 

 are sought for ilicii IdiKiiisu iuticd fruits. Those of the larger red maple (A. rubrum) are 

 .sometimes eaten, hut more oflcn this s|)C(ics sor\cs as a source of buds, a substantial mim- 

 ber of which are occasionallx picked up. i5uds of the well-known sugar maple (A. .<:accha- 

 rum) rank well ahead of liiose of the oilier nienilicrs of the f;iinil\ as a source of food during 

 the colder portions of the year. 



The Composite Family. The largest family of flowering plants is the aster, or composite 

 (Compositae ) . It is entirely logical then that some members of this group should form an 

 integral part of the grouse diet. From late fall to early spring the birds find them a con- 

 venient source of leafy food, the most satisfactory being the hawkweeds ( Hieracium ) and 

 the pussy's-toes ( Aniciuiaria). Occasionally a dried, long-dead leaf of goldenrod (SoUdago) 

 or aster (Aster) may be picked iqi. The fuzz)' pappus-covered seeds characteristic of most 



