RUFFED GROUSE (Bonasa umbellus) 
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 under reasonable protection well 
withstands the attacks of hunters. 
when reduced in numbers, it responds to pro- 
tection in a gratifying manner and has proved 
to be well adapted to propagation under arti- 
ficial conditions, Wild fruit, mast, and browse 
make up the bulk of the vegetable food of this 
species. It is very fond of hazelnuts, beech- 
nuts, chestnuts, and acorns, and it eats practi- 
cally all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. 
Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been identified 
from the stomach contents examined. Various 
weed seeds also are consumed. Slightly more 
than 10 per cent of the food consists of in- 
sects, about half being beetles, The most im- 
portant pests devoured are the potato beetle, 
clover-root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, 
grapevine leaf-bectle, May beetles, grasshop- 
pers, cotton worms, army worms, cutworms, 
the red-humped apple worm, and sawfly larve. 
the most remarkable. 
represented thus: 
PoPHP PoP eV--1-P, 
Moreover, | 
BOBWHITE (Colinus virginianus) 
Length, to inches. Known everywhere by 
the clear whistle that suggests its name. 
Range: 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 
appreciated on the table than in the field, and 
in many States has unquestionably been hunted 
too closely. Fortunately it seems to be practi- 
cable 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 serious 
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 wee- 
vils, army worms, bollworms, cutworms, and 
Rocky Mountain locusts. 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. 
Poe * see mS 
Photograph by John Woodcock 
A RUFFED GROUSE ABOUT TO DRUM 
Of all the characteristics of this superb game bird, its habit of drumming is perhaps 
This loud tattoo begins with the measured thump of the big drum, 
then gradually changes and dies away in the rumble of the kettle-drum. 
Thum p—thump—thum p—thanp, thump; thump, thump- rup rup rup rup 
The sound is produced by the male bird beating the air with his wings as 
he stands firmly braced on some favorite low perch; 
It may be briefly 
and it is now quite well known to be 
the call of the male to the female—an announcement that he is at the old rendezvous. 
5d 
