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. Moreover, 
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 
It 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 
species. 1S 
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 larve. 
BOBWHITE (Colinus virginianus) 
Length, inches Ix everywhere by 
10 nown 
the clear whistle tl iwgests } im 
Range Resident in the United States east 
of the plains; introduced in many places in tl 
West. 
Habits and economic status: The bobwhite 
is loved by every dweller in the country and i 
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 Statés has unquestionably been hunted 
too closely. Fortunately it seems to be practi 
cable to propagate the bird in iptis ind 
much is to be hoped for in this directi 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 stubbl Fifteen p 
cent of the bobwhite’s food is composed of in- 
sects, including several of the most serious 
pests of agriculture. It feeds freel pon 
Colorado potato beetles and chinch bugs; it 
devours also cucumber beetles, wireworms 
billbugs, clover-leaf weevils, cotton-boll we: 
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 1s not depleted by eager sport 
\ RUFFED GROUSE 
oy ’ 
ABOUT TO DRUM 
game bird. its habit 
m le ’ th 
| t | ‘ 
Of all the characteristi of this super! 
the most remarkable This loud tattoo begins 
then gradually changes and dies away tn thi 
repre sented thus 7 uw) f 
r-r-"-7-T-r-7T-rT-r. The sound 1s produced | tl 
he stands firmly braced on some te | 
the call of the male to the femal nt 
