CHAPTER IV 



FOOD OF THE RED GROUSE 



By Edward A. Wilsoii and A. S. Leslie. 



Part I. — Observations on the Food of Grouse, based on an 

 Examination op Crop Contents. 



During the period of the Inquiry the contents of several hundreds of loaded 



crops have been examined by the Committee with a view to ascertaining the 



various foods eaten by Grouse ; the percentage compositions have 



been tabulated, as well as the total weight of food in the crops at examina- 

 tion, 

 the various hours of the day, and by these means the Committee 



have come to several unexpected conclusions. 



Table I. (p. 68) shows how the three hundred and ninety-nine specimens of 

 crop contents examined are distributed as to locality and as to date, during the 

 three years 1906, 1907, and 1908.' It is natural that by far the greater 

 number should have been supplied during August and September ; but the 

 remainder are fairly evenly distributed. 



Table II. (p. 69) is drawn up to show the average weight of the crop contents 

 of birds killed at diflferent hours of the day, from 6 a.m. to Time of 



6„ ,, feeding. 



P.M. "^ 



In the last right - hand column of Table II. will be found a general 

 average for the twelve months, and it will be seen from the figures given 

 that Grouse feed from morning until night, but that full crops are more 

 commonly found in birds killed in the afternoon and evening, both in winter 

 and summer, than in the morning and forenoon. 



When a Grouse is in health the gizzard invariably contains food under- 

 going a grinding process throughout the hours of sunlight, even in the longest 



1 In addition to the 399 crops tabulated some 1,100 other crops were examined— these were obtained 

 mainly from diseased birds in April and May, and from shot birds in August and September. 



67 



