180 The Ruffed Grouse 



woodland coverts, not from crop fields where agricultural benefits 

 might be involved. Thirdly, while many of the insects taken are of 

 injurious types, many others are beneficial, or neutral in economic 

 importance. Lastly, grouse are never abundant enough near farm 

 fields to be a real factor in controlling insects under any conditions. 

 And so we must conclude that the direct economic aspects of grouse 

 insect eating are practically negligible. The grouse may be con- 

 sidered, however, as part of the combined force of all insect-eating 

 birds that tends to lower the number of all insects— doubtless a de- 

 sirable accomplishment. 



Another phase of grouse food habits has proved to be significantly 

 destructive to agriculture in some localities. The habit of budding 

 apple trees sometimes results in sufiBcient damage to the trees to im- 

 pair their productivity. In Massachusetts and New Hampshire this 

 habit has resulted in bounty payments and state-paid damage claims 

 in years past. In recent years the damage claims paid by New Hamp- 

 shire due to grouse budding apple trees has varied from about 

 $26,000 in 1926 to a low of $12.57 in 1938. The highest amount for 

 the past decade was $3,488.07 in 1935 on seventy claims.' It is in- 

 teresting to note that these claims are based on a twofold damage: 

 to the succeeding apple crop, and to the tree itself. Grouse have 

 been known to take as high as ninety per cent of the buds from 

 individual trees in a single season. Fortunately this damage does 

 not occur commonly in commercial orchards. 



In other respects the food habits of the grouse are of litde or no 

 significance to man's interests. We may, therefore, summarize their 

 economic importance as generally neutral. 



USE OF GRIT 



The grouse is one of the type of birds that have a strong, muscular 

 gizzard that crushes the food after receiving it from the crop. In 

 order that the gizzard walls may perform this function satisfactorily, 

 hard particles must be present in the gizzard to act as a grinding 

 agent. Ordinarily, small stones are swallowed deliberately by the 

 birds for this purpose. Occasionally hard seeds assist in the crushing 

 of other foods. Red haw (Crataegus) seeds are notable in this con- 



^ Records kindly made available by the New Hampshire Fish and Game Depart- 

 ment. 



