188 FOOD HABITS AND REQUIREMENTS 



they are hatched will pick at the black eyes, the faintly j)ink toenails, the brownish beaks, 

 and the vents of their companions. By reducing the light or changing it to red the picking 

 is materially curtailed, for contrast both in tone and color is largely eliminated. 



But it is among the adult birds that the most striking examples of the lure of the conspic- 

 uous occur. One of the surest ways of attracting penned birds is to hold a bright object in 

 one's fingers. A galvanized nail head, a small watch, or, best of all, a ring, be it plain or 

 set with stones, may usually be depended upon to bring one or more grouse close to pick 

 at the bright object. Once when a visitor from another state, who was feeding the hand- 

 raised birds at the Research Center, smiled appreciatively, a venturesome male, much to every- 

 one's amusement, did his best to snatch a couple of front teeth. Fingernails stuck through 

 the wire may prove equall) tempting and in addition lead to the discoverv that grouse can 

 bite. 



Motion is also attractive, at least to young grouse, providing they are not afraid of the 

 moving object. Mealworms and fly larvae are favorite foods of grouse in captivity, the 

 shortest shrift being given to the wigglers. The great activity of ants may be one reason 

 why so many of these insects are taken by young chicks. A crawling, hopping or flying in- 

 sect may be depended upon to create much more excitement in a grouji of chicks a few days 

 old than would the same insect motionless. 



Texture also may influence food selection; certainly grouse in captivity prefer to eat mash 

 in the form of hard pellets; even mash moistened only enough to stick together in lumps is 

 better than the mealy mash, though grouse can be taught to eat the latter perfectly well. In 

 captivity young grouse seem to like tough apple leaves more than succulent lettuce. 



It is difficult to draw conclusions on these points from food utilization in the wild. Soft 

 larvae, hard bettles, juicy crickets, all fall prey and the rotten fruit of a March apple, the 

 firm flesh of thornapple and the unyielding beechnuts and cherry seeds seem equally wel- 

 come. 



Similarly a wide variety of sizes is acceptable. Seeds of sedge, so small that they must 

 be gleaned by strijjping the heads, may be found in the same cr(>|> with whole leaves of 

 poplar or white oak acorns. Chestnuts, in the old davs before the l)light. were a popular 

 food item in the fall, as are still the whole fruits of th<)rMa|)plc. riicsc arc dftcti tlic width 

 of a good-sized thumbnail. Stories of grouse swalldwing \oung mice have been received 



but not verified hv the Investigation, though I'olderboer after cxaniitiiiig Iowa grouse 



droppings, reported one or two collected in summer to conlaiii bones ami hair of deer mice 

 ( Pfroiuyscus). Judd'^ found a green snake 17 inches long in one grouse crop, indicating 

 that the birds are deterred h\ neither shape nor length once an item has been marked as food. 



In computing the bulk contents of the cro]i> and gizzards by seasons, as indicated in table 

 21, a curious situation was brought to light. There seems to be little significant difference 

 in the amount of food found either in the cro|) or in the gizzard of grouse during the spring, 

 fall or winter months. In summer, however, it is so much lower as to indicate a marked re- 

 duction in food consumption and in the time spent in feeding. The greater digestibility 

 of summer foods, such as soft-bodied insects and flcshv fruits is another contributing factor. 



C.\LTioN IN Accepting New Food.s 



With prccocial birds like grouse which leave the nest within a few hours after hatching, 

 the task of di'termitiing what is edible seems to fall largel\ upon the voung. In captivitv at 

 least, the mother, unlike the barnyard hen, seems to spend relatively little time and effort 



