BIRDS USEFUL TO FARM AND ORCHARD 



643 



slender paspaUim, 4,820 of orange hawk 

 weed. 950 of hoary vervain, 120 of Caro- 

 lina cranesbill, 50 of yellow wood sorrel, 

 620 of panic grass, and 40 of various 

 other weeds. None of these are useful, 

 and most of them are troublesome weeds. 

 The dove does not eat insects or other 

 animal food. It should be jirotected in 

 every possible way. 



Ruffed Oronse 



Bonasa iimbeUiis 

 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 un- 

 der reasonable protection well withstands 

 the attacks of hunters. Moreover, when 

 reduced in numbers, it responds to protec- 

 tion in a gratifying manner and has 

 proved to be well adapted to propagation 

 under artificial conditions. Wild fruits, 

 mast, and browse make up the bulk of 

 the vegetable food of this species. It is 

 very fond of hazelnuts, beechnuts, chest- 

 nuts and acorns, and it eats practically 

 all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. 

 Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been 

 identified from the stomach contents ex- 

 amined. Various weed seeds also are con- 

 sumed. Slightly more than 10 per cent 

 of the food consists of insects, about half 

 being beetles. The most important pests 

 devoured are the potato beetle, clover- 

 root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, 

 grapevine leaf beetle, May beetles, grass- 

 hoppers, cotton worms, army worms, cut- 

 worms, the red-humped apple worm, and 

 sawfly larvae. While the economic record 

 of the ruffed grouse is fairly commend- 

 able, it does not call for more stringent 

 protection than is necessary to maintain 

 the species in reasonable numbers. 



Boltwliite 



Col ill IIS rinjinianus 



Length, 10 inches. Known everywhere 

 by the clear whistle that suggests its 

 name. 



Bsinti'e 



Resident in the United States east of 

 the plains; introduced in many 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 appre- 

 ciated on the table than in the field, and 

 in many states has unquestionably been 

 hunted too closely. Fortunately it seems 

 to be practicable 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 seri- 

 ous pests of agriculture. It feeds freely 

 upon Colorado potato beetles and chinch 

 bugs; it devours also cucumber beetles, 

 wireworms, billbugs, clover-leaf weevils, 

 cotton-boll weevils, army worms, boll- 

 worms, cutworms, and Rocky Mountain 

 locusts. Take it all in all, 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. 



Kildeer 



Oj-ypchiis rociferus 



Length, 10 inches. Distinguished by its 

 piercing and oft-repeated cry — kildee. 



Kange 



Breeds throughout the XTnited States 

 and most of Canada; winters from Cen- 

 tral United States to South America. 



Habits and Economic Status 



The killdeer is one of the best known 

 of the shorebird family. It often visits 

 the farmyard and commonly nests in 

 pastures or cornfields. It is rather sus- 



