124 The Ruffed Grouse 



—64.4 per cent; fiber~14.5 per cent; ash— 6.9 per cent (Hosley, 

 1938). 



HoPHORNBEAM {Ostryo virginiana) 



Seasonal importance: Winter and early spring; eaten to a lesser 

 extent in the fall, most important as a winter food ( see Plate 20C ) . 



Parts used: Leaf buds, and, to a small degree, seeds (nutlets) in 

 the fall. 



Geographic importance: Hophombeam is primarily important in 

 New York and Pennsylvania. It is apparently of slight importance 

 in New England and negligible south of Pennsylvania. 



A small slow-growing tree of the northern-hardwoods and beech- 

 maple associations, it is found in the woodland understory on most 

 upland soils. The nutlets are eaten by ring-necked pheasant and 

 bobwhite quail as well as by grouse, and the browse is taken by the 

 white-tailed deer and cottontail rabbit. The competition is of no 

 significance to the ruffed grouse. 



Ferns (Polypodiaciae) 



Species utilized: For convenience, and because the food records 

 often show identity only to family, all genera of the fern family 

 are lumped together. Most important is that of the shieldferns 

 {Thelypteris) , which would rank in the first twenty-five food- 

 producing genera by itself. Spiny-toothed shield fern {T. spinu- 

 losum, including var. intermedium ) is probably used most, but mar- 

 ginal shield fern (T. marginalis) too is regularly eaten. Probably 

 other species also are used. Christmas fern {Polystichum acro- 

 stichoides) and polypody fern (Pohjpodium vtdgare) rank next in 

 importance. Several other species are known to be utilized, includ- 

 ing sensitive fern (Onoclea sensihilis) and royal fern (Osmunda 

 regalis), some being locally important. The grape ferns {Botrychium 

 ohliqiium, B. dissectum, and possibly others), while not in the fam- 

 ily Polypodiaciae, are closely related plants that are eaten to some 

 extent. 



Seasonal importance: Ferns are eaten throughout the year and are 

 a staple food in all seasons except summer. While the spring rec- 

 ords are inadequate for complete analysis over the whole region, it 



