84 



The Ruffed Grouse 



Use intensity ratio 

 when reduced to 

 parts of the major 

 type taken as 1.0 



The significance of the difference in use intensity between slash- 

 ings and overgrown land is questionable. Together they constitute 

 the most important type of summer cover— the woody cover with- 

 out a tree canopy or crown— although the hardwood type is most 

 used as a single type. The difference in use made of mixed woods 

 and conffers is probably not significant. It is worthy of note that 

 in spite of the trend toward more open cover in the summer, the 

 use of open land is less than at any other season. 



1.0 



-1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 



PROPORTION OF MOST INTENSIVELY USED TYPE (TAKEN AS 1.0) 



{From Connecticut Hill, N.Y. data) 



Fig. 4. Intensity of Use of Cover Types by Adult Grouse by Seasons. 



In connection with all these summer records, it should be noted 

 again that only males and broodless females are included. The 

 brood mothers, whose choice of cover is presumably determined by 

 the needs of the brood, are omitted. Since the brood records are 

 even more predominantly in the overgrown-land and slashing types, 

 the addition of these to the adult records given here would only 

 further accentuate the trends shown. We may sum up the summer 

 cover requirements of the adults by dividing them into two pref- 

 erence groups: the open types, slashings and overgrown lands, that 

 are preferred under normal weather conditions; the crown types that 



