188 The Ruffed Grouse 



tion of cover by grouse (see page 94). In a direct sense, adult 

 giouse practically never succumb to the weather, that is, die of 

 exposure or freezing. The "practically" is included to admit the re- 

 mote possibility that death from exposure may conceivably occur. 

 It has not been observed, however, in all our observations under 

 extremes of weather of all sorts. In an indirect sense, weather often 

 makes grouse susceptible to accelerated predation, hence is an im- 

 portant element in their mortality story. 



The literature is full of references to hardships brought on grouse 

 by winter. Most often these are associated with supposed starva- 

 tion induced by imprisonment under a heavily crusted snow follow- 

 ing snow-roosting. Samuels (1870) evidently considered this to be 

 commonplace, for he wrote: "It is a common occurrence to find them 

 in the spring dead, where they have been imprisoned under the 

 crust . . ." Allen (1927) considers this problem from the bird's 

 point of view, "quoting" a hen grouse in such a predicament thus: 

 "Rain or snow would freeze, making it impossible for me to get out 

 and I spent several days in hunger, imprisoned beneath the snow." 

 Forbush ( 1913 ) recognized that such an event was not usual and 

 concluded: ". . . usually they are vigorous enough to find a way 

 out somewhere." It is credible that death beneath the snow may 

 happen but it seems likely that most authors have overplayed a 

 theory or misinterpreted their observations. We do not know of a 

 single authenticated case of this phenomenon. 



In enduring stormy winter weather, grouse regularly seek shel- 

 ter in coniferous trees or beneath the snow, often remaining there 

 for several days at a time, as attested by the accumulation of their 

 droppings. Apparently they take little or no food during these "holing 

 up" periods, yet ordinarily are not adversely affected. 



The more snow there is on the ground and the more blustering 

 the weather, the more will the birds resort to snow-roosting. The 

 winter of 1935-36 in southern New York was a season of unusual 

 snow-roosting; deep snows lay on the ground all winter with no 

 important thaws. No instances of death from imprisonment were 

 observed, but the conditions did induce a higher than normal loss 

 from predation. We have already noted the increased vulnerability 

 of grouse in snow roosts (see page 46). During the 1935-36 win- 

 ter, it was common to find the story written in the snow of a grouse 

 pounced upon while at rest beneath its cool, white blanket. The mor- 



