grouse and sharp-tailed grouse. Its diet at this season is largely 

 made up of fruits and beechnuts, chestnuts, acorns, etc., and it 

 is not surprising that the flesh of the well-bred grouse is pro- 

 nounced delicious by all epicures. 



The ruffed grouse has numerous enemies which must be 

 controlled if any shooting is to be done* Certain hawks, owls 

 and crows are the chief feathered enemies; the goshawk is often 

 called the partridge hawk on account of its fondness for ruffed 

 grouse. The great horned owl and the barred owl take many 

 grouse which escape the fox at night roosting in the trees. 

 Foxes, weasels, minks, skunks and other furry enemies are 

 fond of grouse. Snakes destroy both birds and eggs. The 

 combined toll taken in a year by these enemies is large, and 

 when the enemies are controlled it is evident the grouse supply 

 must be big enough to stand a lot of shooting. Roving dogs 

 and cats, both wild and domestic, do much damage in the grouse 

 woods and should be exterminated. Forest fires at the nesting 

 season are especially destructive, but these also will be con- 

 trolled when it pays to preserve the birds properly. 



Ruffed grouse prefer deciduous trees to evergreens. A 

 forest of mast and fruit-bearing trees, with some evergreens, is 

 far better for grouse than an evergreen forest with few deciduous 

 trees. The grouse nests on the ground usually against a fallen 

 log, stump, tree or other obstruction which may protect it 

 from a rear attack and will often cause its enemy to pass to 

 either side without discovering the nest. This usually con- 

 tains from 8 to 12 eggs, and sometimes more. 



