RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) 



Length, 17 inches. The broad black band 

 near tip of tail distinguishes this from other 

 grouse. 



Range : Resident in the northern two-thirds 

 of the United States and in the forested parts 

 of Canada. 



Habits and economic status : The ruffed 

 grouse, the famed drummer and finest game 

 bird of the northern woods, is usually wild and 

 wary and under reasonable protection well 

 withstands the attacks of hunters. Aloreover, 

 when reduced in numbers, it responds to pro- 

 tection in a gratifying manner and has proved 

 to be well adapted to propagation under arti- 

 ficial conditions. Wild fruit, mast, and browse 

 make up the bulk of the vegetable food of this 

 species. It is very fond of hazelnuts, beech- 

 nuts, chestnuts, and acorns, and it eats practi- 

 cally all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. 

 Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been identified 

 from the stomach contents examined. Various 

 weed seeds also are consumed. Slightly more 

 than 10 per cent of the food consists of in- 

 sects, about half being beetles. The most im- 

 portant pests devoured are the potato beetle, 

 clover-root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, 

 grapevine leaf-beetle. May beetles, grasshop- 

 pers, cotton worms, army worms, cutworms, 

 the red-humped apple worm, and sawfly larvae. 



BOBWHITE (Colinus virginianus) 



Length, 10 inches. Known everywhere by 

 the clear whistle that suggests its name. 



Range : Resident in the United States cast 

 of the plains ; introduced in manv places in the 

 West. 



Habits and economic status : The bobwhite 

 is loved by every dweller in the country and is 

 better known to more hunters in the United 

 States than any other game bird. It is no less 

 appreciated on the table than in the field, and 

 in many States has unquestionably been hunted 

 too closely. Fortunately it seems to he practi- 

 cable to propagate the bird in captivity, and 

 much is to be hoped for in this direction. Half 

 the food of this quail consists of weed seeds, 

 almost a fourth of grain, and about a tenth of 

 wild fruits. Although thus eating grain, the 

 bird gets most of it from stubble. Fifteen per 

 cent of the bobwhite's food is composed of in- 

 sects, including several of the most serious 

 pests of agriculture. It feeds freely upon 

 Colorado potato beetles and chinch bugs; it 

 devours also cucumber beetles, wirewornis, 

 billbugs, clover-leaf weevils, cotton-boll wee- 

 vils, army worms, bollworms, cutworms, and 

 Rocky Mountain locusts. Bobwhite is very 

 useful to the farmer, and while it may not be 

 necessary to remove it from the list of game 

 birds every farmer should see that his own 

 farm is not depleted by eager sportsmen. 



riiot..giaiili l>y jnliii \\ 



A RUFl^Kn C.ROUSK .\BOUT TO DRUM 



Of all the characteristics of this superb game bird, its habit of drumming is perhaps 

 the most remarkable. This loud tattoo begins with the measured tliump of the big (iruni, 

 then graduallv changes and dies away in the nunble of the kcttlc-drum. It may l)e briefly 

 represented thus: tliuiiil^—tlnniif^—tiuiinf'—tlnimf. thiiin/^: Ihuiii^. tlniiiif^-nif> ni[> ni/^ nip 

 ,:,-,-)-r-r-r-r-r. The sound is produced by the male bird beating tlie air with his wings as 

 lie stands firmly braced on some favorite low perch: and it is now (luite well known to be 

 the call of the male to the female— an announcement that iu- is at the old rendezvous. 



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