546 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
menting with ruffed grouse, yet one clutch of 12 eggs 
was secured, 10 of these hatched and 3 reared to 
maturity. In the loss of 7 of these chicks a very im- 
portant discovery was made. Insect food being essen- 
tial to the young birds, a large number of striped plant 
bugs were obtained by sweeping the grass where they 
were abundant with insect nets. The young chicks 
ate them eagerly, and went to sleep and died as if they 
had been chloroformed. Professor Hodge points out 
that these bugs give out a strong odor similar to that — 
of the squash bug, and Conradi found that when squash 
bugs were fed to toads, these died as though poisoned 
with chloroform. While Conradi found that 5 or 6 
squash bugs might be sufficient to kill a toad, Miss 
Morse has fed as many as 11 to bobwhite at a single 
meal with no apparent ill effect. Toads ate the plant 
bugs in large quantities without injury, but it is ap- 
parent that strong-smelling bugs should not be fed to 
young ruffed grouse. 
The experiments with bobwhite proved very success- 
ful. The season began with 5 pairs and several extra 
cocks. The first egg was laid by May 6th, and 4 
of the hens had begun laying by May t1oth. Not less 
than 247 eggs were laid, an average of 49 to the 
pair, but Mr. Merrill, of the State Game Farm, had 
a hen quail which laid 100 eggs. Two of Professor 
Hodge’s hens died during the summer, but the 3 that 
survived laid an average of 65 eggs each. In all 114 
chicks were hatched and 75 reared. A most excellent 
showing, but one that will unquestionably be greatly 
