754 REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



"The drumming place is resorted to by the male from year io year. 

 It may be a log, a rock, an old stump, or, when such are not available, 

 a small hillock may be made to answer the purpose equally as well." 

 (Bendire, L. H. 1ST. A. Birds, I, p. 61). 



The nest is generally a slight hollow at the foot of a tree or stump, 

 or under the edge of an old log, in a fallen tree-top or brush pile. 

 In this is put a few straws, a little grass or a few leaves. They gen- 

 erally lay from nine to twelve eggs. There are records where as many 

 as sixteen to twenty-three eggs have been found in one nest. The 

 nests which have come under my observation have contained eggs in 

 May. That is the month when most of them lay. Full sets of eggs 

 have been found as far north as Central New York, as early as April 1 

 (Bendire). Unfavorable weather at breeding time is disastrous to the 

 Ruffed Grouse. Unlike the Bobwhite, they usually lay but one sitting 

 a season, and, should these be destroyed, or the delicate young in their 

 early days become chilled by cold winds accompanying a season of 

 rain, if they lay again, as they are said sometimes to do, the set is a 

 small one, but usually the year's increase is lost. Mrs. Hine informs 

 me she once found a sitting Ruffed Grouse late in July. Mr. Hay- 

 mond mentioned the year 1889 as the most disastrous year to these 

 birds within his recollection. The previous year, 1888, there was a 

 favorable breeding season, and they were found in great abundance. 

 They are fully grown, or nearly so, by October 1. After this date they 

 rarely take to the trees, though, when old a,nd young are together 

 through the summer, they are commonly to be found in them (L. H. 

 Raymond). 



The food of the Ruffed Grouse is quite varied. Grasshoppers and 

 crickets are favorite articles of food. Besides these, caterpillars, anls, 

 beetles, etc., are eaten. They live largely upon insects and fnriis, in- 

 cluding all the berries, during the summer. 



In the fall they have been noted to eat, abundantly, leaves and 

 blossoms of red clover, acorns, chestnuts, beechnuts, various seeds and 

 partridge berries. In winter they eat seeds, grains, buds of laurel, 

 apple, fern, wintergreen (Gaultheria), partridge berries (Mitchella), 

 sumac berries, dogwood (Cornus), viburnum berries, and wild grapes. 

 The crop of a Ruffed Grouse, taken at Brookville, May 10, 1879, 

 contained the following: Three large beetles ( PTiyllophaya liir- 

 suta), entire, but slightly crushed; numerous green seed-pods of the 

 blood root (Sanguinaria canadensis); and a large mass of leaves of 

 white clover (Trifolium repens), and ground ivy (Nepeta glechoma). 

 The gizzard contained numerous seed stones of the Black Gum tree 



