FEEDING HABITS 187 



who venture forth, leaving the rest of the brood still hovered by the mother. Becoming 

 anxious, she rises, ofttimes shaking out a chick or two from under her wing, and takes a few 

 steps. The remaining chicks, even though they be only a few days old, lose no time in fan- 

 ning out in a feeding formation, sometimes ten or 15 feet across. It seldom seems to take 

 more than ten to 15 minutes for the chicks to satisfy their hunger, after which they are 

 brooded again. On cooler days they are apt to seek the comforting body heat of the hen at 

 even more frequent intervals. Thus at this early age life is much a matter of food and 

 warmth and exploration, in frequent alternation. 



That even young chicks can go without food for a considerable time was evidenced by a 

 brood which, confined for observation in a half-acre ])en built in a natural grouse habitat, re- 

 mained in the same spot without moving or feeding to any extent for four or fi\e hours at a 

 time. As the youngsters grow (jjder it is difficult to recognize any definite tendency for them 

 to feed at one time rather than another during the day. Records of the Investigation reveal 

 that broods may be found in such choice feeding grounds as a brier patch, or among the tan- 

 gled vegetation of a sla.shing, enjoying their fill at an) time of day. 



Feeding Peculiarities 



It is usual for a gallinaceous bird to subsist on seeds, fruits and succulent herbage, together 

 with insects. But the grouse, occupying the greatest latitudinal range of all, could never have 

 survived in the north were it not for its ability to utilize buds and even the tips of twigs much 

 as do deer. This browsing capacity banishes the danger of starvation which threatens certain 

 other game birds at the northern limits of their ranges. That upon occasion a grouse may 

 be a browser of the first order is shown by the one-time adoption by certain towns in Mas- 

 sachusetts of a grouse bounty of 25 cents a bird, because of too heavy feeding upon apple 

 buds. Practically every crop collected between October and April has contained buds. In 

 fact, they are found in greater abundance in the food, than is generally supposed, throughout 

 every month of the year save only June and July. In volume the average grouse may be 

 expected to eat approximately IJi ])ints of buds a year. With a large-budded species such 

 as aspen this represents some 125.000 buds a year; with the smaller cherry, birch or horn- 

 beam bud the number might be twice as large. Thus buds and twigs are among its bulkiest, 

 if not its most nutritious foods. 



Although it has been suggested that grouse are color-wise, jjreferring blue, little evidence 

 of this is to be found in the color of the foods taken. All of the primary and secondary col- 

 ors, as well as black and white, have been noted among fruits eaten in quantity. Likewise with 

 grit all available colors are represented, although white quartz pebbles predominate, even in 

 regions where other gravels are much more numerous. 



It is possible that contrast may be more important than color. This interesting thought is 

 the result of watching the feeding actions of several thousand grouse in captivity. Field ob- 

 servations bearing on the subject, though few, lent some support to the idea. Grouse chicks 

 when first hatched may have to be taught to eat. Dr. A. A. Allen developed the practice of 

 spattering curded milk on a shingle, thus enticing the newly-hatched chicks to pick at the 

 spots. For several years finely ground charcoal was added to the starting diet for day-old 

 chicks at the Research Center because the black spots proved to be attractive. Drv mash scat- 

 tered over paper towels failed to interest these chicks, but the same mash moistened and 

 scattered in small lumps on the same paper was eagerly picked up. Chicks from the day 



