112 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The figures given above do not give any adequate idea of 

 the scarcity of game birds, particularly of the ruffed grouse, 

 over a large part of the State. Still there were localities where 

 the species was still present in almost normal numbers, and it 

 was hoped that a propitious breeding season would replace to 

 some extent the recent severe losses. A watch was kept during 

 the season. The weather was seen to be generally favorable. 

 Many large broods were hatched and reared, passed the usual 

 danger stage and then, as our reports show, something hap- 

 pened to them. In most parts of the State only a few adult 

 birds remained alive when the hunting season opened. Many 

 local hunters refrained from shooting grouse during the season. 

 It is said that the birds were hunted and shot principally by 

 automobile parties from the larger centers, and in many locali- 

 ties the numbers of ruffed grouse in the State appeared to be 

 less than ever before. The present scarcity of ruffed grouse 

 extends from New Brunswick south to Pennsylvania, and from 

 Maine as far west at least as Michigan, even to Minnesota, 

 although there are some localities within this region where the 

 decrease is not very noticeable. The decimation of the grouse 

 in 1907 extended over New England, southern Canada south to 

 Pennsylvania, and as far west as Minnesota. As the region 

 subject to these two visitations is nearly identical it seems 

 worth while to make a few comparisons. 



An inquiry into the scarcity of grouse in 1907 showed (1) 

 that the birds had been decimated during the winter of 1906-07 

 by a great flight of goshawks, the largest since 1870; (2) that 

 foxes were exceedingly numerous and destructive; (3) that 

 some birds were destroyed by the cold of an unusually severe 

 winter; (4) that a cold, late, wet spring killed off some of the 

 incubating females and most of the young birds; (5) that some 

 epidemic (disease or parasite) probably decimated the young 

 even after they were half grown and also killed some of the 

 full-grown birds. The most destructive of these factors w^as 

 believed to be the exceedingly cold, wet spring which, succeed- 

 ing a hard winter, reduced the vitality of the parent birds and 

 cut off the normal increase. 



If a single hard winter, with numerous foxes and goshawks, 

 followed by one unsuitable breeding season can produce a 



