130 The RufiFed Grouse 



and Virginia, and JR. vernix in Maine and Massachusetts. Sum- 

 marized by states, the species most patronized are: Maine, R. ty- 

 phina, and R. vernix; New Hampshire, R. toxicodendron, and R. 

 typhina; Vermont, none; Massachusetts, R. toxicodendron, and R. 

 vernix; Rhode Island, R. toxicidendron; Connecticut, R. glabra; New 

 York, R. copallina, and R. typhina; Pennsylvania, R. copallina, and 

 R. typhina; Virginia, R. copallina, R. glabra, and R. typhina; Ohio, 

 R. aromatica, R. typhina, and R. glabra. 



Dwarf sumac, contrary to its name, is not always a small shrub, 

 but sometimes grows to be a large shrub or even a tree. It is a 

 sparsely-branched, thicket-forming plant, usually found on acid 

 soils on dry or well-drained sites, either in full sun or partial shade. 



Smooth sumac is a small-to-large shrub, sparsely branched, some- 

 times thicket-foiTning. It is found only in full sunlight, but is adapted 

 to either dry or wet soils. 



Poison ivy is a vine, or sometimes a shrub, very bushy, and at 

 home in both sun and shade. It is adapted to dry or well-drained 

 soils. The fruit is a smooth wax-covered drupe, quite unlike the hairy 

 drupes of the non-poisonous species. 



Staghorn sumac is a large shrub or small tree tliat often grows in 

 loose thickets. It is found mainly in full sun, but grows occasionally 

 in partial shade. Dry or well-drained soils on old fields and woods 

 borders are its usual habitat. Poison sumac is a large shrub or small 

 tree, rather sparsely branched, found on most soils from open sun 

 to rather overgroMoi bogs or swamps. 



Fruits of all the sumacs are eaten by a gieat variety of birds and 

 mammals. Those of poison ivy alone are known to be consumed by 

 more than sixty species of birds. Poison sumac berries are an impor- 

 tant food of the bobwhite and ring-necked pheasant. Drupes of 

 most of the species are eaten by these two game birds, mourning 

 dove, wild turkey and by cottontail rabbit and white-tailed deer. 

 Staghorn sumac is important as a deer browse food and smooth 

 sumac as a rabbit food. Competition for products of the abundant 

 sumacs is of no particular significance to the grouse. 



Chemical analysis (Hosley, 1938, species not named): of fresh 

 bobs: water— 9.6 per cent; protein— 6.9 per cent; fat— 17.2 per cent; 

 nitrogen-free extract— 38.1 per cent; fiber— 22.9 per cent; ash— 5.3 

 per cent. Rhus toxicodendron (Wright, 1940): water— 3.4 per cent; 

 protein— 6.8 per cent; fat— 26.1 per cent; nitrogen-free extract— 32.2 



