BIRDS USEFUL TO FARM AND ORCHARD 
slender paspalum, 4,820 of orange hawk 
weed, 950 of hoary vervain, 120 of Caro- 
lina cranesbill, 50 of yellow wood sorrel, 
620 of panic grass, and 40 of various 
other weeds None of these are useful, 
and most of them are troublesome weeds. 
The dove does not eat insects or other 
animal food It should be protected in 
every possible way. 
Ruifed Grouse 
Bonasa winbellus 
Length, 17 inches The broad black 
band near tip of tail distinguishes this 
trom 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 un- 
der reasonable protection well withstands 
the attacks of hunters. Moreover, when 
reduced in numbers, it responds to protec- 
tion in a gratifying manner and has 
proved to be well adapted to propagation 
under artificial conditions. Wild fruits, 
mast, and browse make up the bulk of 
the vegetable food of this species. It is 
very fond of hazelnuts, beechnuts, chest- 
nuts and acorns, and it eats practically 
all kinds of wild berries and other fruits. 
Nearly 60 kinds of fruits have been 
identified from the stomach contents ex- 
amined. Various weed seeds also are con- 
sumed. Slightly more than 10 per cent 
of the food consists of insects, about half 
being beetles. The most important pests 
devoured are the potato beetle, clover- 
root weevil, the pale-striped flea beetle, 
grapevine leaf beetle, May beetles, grass- 
hoppers, cotton worms, army worms, cut- 
worms, the red-humped apple worm, and 
sawfly larvae. While the economic record 
of the ruffed grouse is fairly commend- 
able, it does not call for more stringent 
protection than is necessary to maintain 
the species in reasonable numbers. 
643 
Bobwhite 
Colinus virgiianus 
Length, 10 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 appre- 
ciated on the table than in the field, and 
in many states has unquestionably been 
hunted too closely. Fortunately it seems 
to be practicable 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 seri- 
ous 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 weevils, army worms, boll- 
worms, cutworms, and Rocky Mountain 
locusts. Take it all in all, 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 
Kildeer 
Oryechus vociferus 
Length, 10 inches. Distinguished by its 
plercing and oft-repeated cry—kildee. 
Range 
Breeds throughout the United States 
and most of Canada; winters from Cen- 
tral United States to South America. 
Habits and Economie Status 
The killdeer is one of the best known 
of the shorebird family. It often visits 
the farmyard and commonly nests in 
pastures or cornfields. It is rather sus- 
