120 The Ruffed Grouse 



since the New England grouse specimens were almost all taken in 

 the fall when the prevalence of many fruits makes strawberry tem- 

 porarily less important. The small quantity of strawberry leaves 

 taken in Virginia in early winter, even though the incidence is 

 fairly high, indicates that it may not be a higlily important winter 

 food there. It is probably more important in summer. We are quite 

 safe in saying, however, that Fragaria is important throughout the 

 region in summer, and from Pennsylvania northward throughout 

 the year. 



The strawberries are low trailing herbaceous plants foimd in old 

 fields and in the ground cover of open woodlands. They flower in 

 May, fruit in June and July, and the leaves remain somewhat suc- 

 culent throughout the winter. Numerous birds and mammals par- 

 take of the ripe fruit but offer no serious competition to the grouse, 

 since the abundance of the fruit at the season of ripeness almost al- 

 ways exceeds the demands upon it. 



WiNTERGREEN {Gaultheria procumbens) 



Seasonal importance: The wintergreen, or checkerberry, is a food 

 consistently used throughout the year but which assumes significant 

 volume only from fall to spring. It is not generally taken in very 

 large quantities, but the regularity of use enhances its importance. 

 In spite of its relative unavailability under the winter snows, it is 

 most important as a winter and early spring food. 



Parts used: Leaves, fruit. 



Geographical importance: An important fall to winter food 

 throughout the Northeast, possibly used somewhat more in the 

 South due to greater availability through the winter. 



The wintergreen is a low, evergreen plant of the woodland floor, 

 with creeping stems that are somewhat woody. It fruits only when 

 sunlight is available through openings in the crovm. The fruit is 

 eaten by the ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite, and chipmunks, and 

 the browse by white-tailed deer. 



Chemical composition: (dried leaves) water-6.9 per cent; pro- 

 tein-6.0 per cent; fat-6.1 per cent; nitrogen-free extiact-60.1 per 

 cent; fiber-16.5 per cent; ash-4.4 per cent (Hosley, 1938). 



