Food and Water 137 



some others can endure rather wet soils too. They are eaten by the 

 lx)bwhite, ring-necked pheasant, and some twenty-odd species of 

 songbirds, as well as by the chipmunk, cottontail, porcupine, rac- 

 coon, skunk, gray squirrel, moose, gray fox, and white-tailed deer. 

 This competition is apparently of no importance to the grouse. 



Chemical analysis (Hosley, 1938): fresh fruit, V. cassinoides: 

 water— 72.6 per cent; protein— 1.7 per cent; fat— 2.9 per cent; nitro- 

 gen-free extract— 19.8 per cent; fiber- 2.3 per cent; ash— 0.8 per 

 cent. V. opulus (almost identical with V. trilohum), fresh fruit: 

 water— 47.3 per cent; protein— 2.7 per cent; fat— 4.9 per cent; nitro- 

 gen-free extract— 37.1 per cent; fiber— 6.3 per cent; ash— 1.7 per cent. 



Wild Grapes {Yitls) 



Species utihzed: Summer grape (V. aestivalis), blueleaf grape (V. 

 argentifolia) y frost grape (V. cordifolia), fox grape (V. lahrusca) 

 (see Plate 28), riverbank grape (V. vulpina), and probably others 

 not specifically identified as yet in grouse food habit records. All of 

 the five species known to be eaten are taken in quantity where avail- 

 able; hence, their importance depends mainly on distribution and 

 abundance. 



Seasonal importance: Fall and early winter is the season of great- 

 est use, quickly falling off from January on as the fruit is consumed 

 by wild hfe or drops off the vines. Some species hold part of their 

 fruit well into the winter when it is used as long as available, and 

 some fruit is picked from the ground. 



Parts used: Fruit. 



Geographical importance: Grapes are an important fall and early 

 winter food throughout the northeastern states, with the exception 

 of Maine. The areas of greatest use are southern New England, 

 southeastern New York, and from Ohio and Pennsylvania to Vir- 

 ginia. In the north. New York and New England, V. argentifolia, V. 

 luhrusca, and V, vulpina are most important; to the south, notably 

 in Virginia, V. aestivalis and V. cordifolia are most used. As a group 

 the wild grapes are among the top-ranking foods from October to 

 January, often exceeding all others in volume consumed. 



The grapes are high-climbing, vigorous vines found mainly along 

 woodland borders and fence rows. They generally prefer a fairly 



