THE BUFFED GROUSE. 63 



Columbia, writes me_ou this subject as follows: "The Ruffed Grouse is very 

 fond of grasshoppers and crickets as an article of diet, and when these insects 

 are abundant it is rare to find a stomach or crop that does not contain their 

 remains. One specimen, shot late in October, had the crop and stomach dis- 

 tended with the larvae of Edenui albifrons, a caterpillar which feeds exten- 

 sively on the leaves of the maple. Beechnuts, chestnuts, and acorns of the 

 chestnut and white oaks are also common articles of food. Among berries early 

 in the season, the blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and elderberries are 

 eaten with relish, while later in the year the wintergreen (Gaultheriti), partridge 

 berry (Mitchella), with their foliage, sumach berries (including those of the 

 poisonous species), cranberries, black alder (Ilex), dogwood (Cornus), nanny- 

 berries (Viburnum), and wild grapes form their chief diet, In the fall the 

 foliage of plants often forms a large part of their food, that of clover, straw- 

 berry, buttercup, wintergreen, and partridge berry predominating. 



"A fine male, shot at Lake George, New York, November 1, 1889, had the 

 crop and stomach distended with the leaves of the peppermint. In the winter 

 these birds feed on the buds of trees, preferring those of the apple, ironwood, 

 black and white birch, and poplar." 



The number of eggs to a set varies from eight to fourteen ; about eleven 

 may be called a fair average. If the first set is destroyed, a second and 

 usually ;i smaller one is laid. Sets of sixteen eggs or over are of rare occur- 

 rence, but I have a reliable record of one numbering twenty-three eggs. Mr. 

 John T. Paintin, of Coralville, Johnson County, Iowa, found this set May 26, 

 1886, near the Iowa River, 10 miles north of Iowa City. He was walking 

 along in the timber, and in stepping over a rotten log almost stepped upon the 

 Grouse. The eggs were carefully counted and the number found to be 

 twenty-three; they were almost hatched, and were not disturbed. 



In form they are ovate, or short ovate, their ground color varying from 

 milky white to pinkish buff. About one-half of the eggs in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection ay mmo" 01 "Jess spotted with rounded dots, varying in size 

 from a No. 4 shot /, mustard seed or dust but/it. These markings vary from 

 pale reddish bro\y l to d ra b color, and none of the - a o-gs are heavily marked. 



The avera$ measurement of forty-four specimens in the U. S. National 

 Museum cej^ ct ; on is 38 .5 by 30 millimetres, the largest egg nf the serieg 

 measiirj. V 4() , 32 the sraa ll e st 33 by 25 millimetres. 



-"As there is' practically no difference in the eggs of the geographic. , ^ 

 of the Ruffed Grouse, the type specimens figured have been selected wit 

 object of showing as nearly as possible the variations both m ground color an, 

 marllgs, irrespective of race, similar specimens being sure to be found in a 



(No- 23308, PI. 2, ^ 1), 

 from a set of eight eggs collected by Mr. C, W. Richmond, near Harper s Ferry, 

 w"rVirgmia, May 30, 1885, represents one of the lightest colored specimens 

 in the entire series, and is perfectly plain colored and unspotted. 



