128 The Ruffed Grouse 



of the oaks varies immensely in different years according to which 

 species, ff any, have a good crop of acorns. This results in somewhat 

 inconsistent records from a single area, depending on years of 

 collection. Smyth in 1919-23, with a considerable proportion of 

 New York records, found relatively little utilization of acorns from 

 October to March, and none in November when it should have been 

 at its peak. Kelso's winter records taken prior to 1935 show very 

 little consumption of acorns, and the New York State Conservation 

 Department's Annual Report in 1937 pointed out the notable scar- 

 city of foods of this group in the specimens taken by the study from 

 1930 to 1937. But Darrow two years later in summarizing the same 

 records, together with new accessions, reported oak foods in ex- 

 cess of three per cent in the whole year food averages in New York 

 outside the Adirondacks. 



White oak is a large tree of the climax association of the Appala- 

 chian and Transition zones. It tolerates most soils except wet ones, 

 but prefers fertile sites. It is among the least dependable of the oaks 

 in acorn production, having a good crop only once in every three 

 years or longer. However, white oak acorns seem to be most palata- 

 ble of all and are small enough for the grouse to swallow whole. 



Northern red oak is a large tree of the hemlock-hardwood associa- 

 tion. It is more shade tolerant than white oak and, therefore, repro- 

 duces better under old-field white pine. The acorns are large and 

 this probably hinders their utilization by grouse to some extent. 

 Crops are usually produced in alternate years. South, and at lower 

 altitudes, northern red oak is replaced by the common red oak which 

 is a very similar tree. 



Bear oak and chinquapin oak are shrub species found on dry, 

 sandy barrens and rocky hillsides. Their habitat keeps them out of 

 the better grouse coverts in most regions, but their patronage is 

 considerable where available to the birds. 



Chestnut and pin oak acorns are known to have been taken by 

 grouse, but probably are not very important. It is probable that 

 those of other oaks too are taken by grouse in varying quantities. 



The oaks are an important food-producing group for many species 

 of wild life. Acorns are a staple for the bobwhite, wild turkey, squir- 

 rels, white-tailed deer, wood duck, and mallard. They are also eaten 

 by the ring-necked pheasant, mourning dove, numerous song birds, 

 and by the opossum, muskrat, raccoon, black bear, gray fox, red 



