110 BULLETIN OF WISCONSIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. VOL. 1, NO 2. 
If we next consider the food of the rufifed grouse with respect 
to the different seasons of the year, it will be found that in spring 
it consists chiefly of the young leaves of plants, of the seeds of 
many of the early flowers — the seed pods being swallowed entire — 
and of some insects, especially beetles. 
During the summer the leaves of such plants as clover and 
sorrel still constitute a considerable portion of the food supply, 
but now insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets and caterpil- 
lars are consumed in large numbers and practically all the ber- 
ries as they appear. The young, in the region considered, appear 
early in June and follow the mother at once. They are fed at 
first on small insects, larvae, earthworms, etc., but as they are 
continually picking curiously at everything they see, they quickly 
learn to provide for themselves and soon there is little difiference 
between their food and that of the adults. 
Seeds, fruit, nuts, buds and catkins constitute the general bill 
of fare during the fall months. At this time as well as through 
the summer, the fields of the settlers are visited for grain, and 
the clearings, roadways, burnings and other open places in the 
forest, for clover leaves, raspberries, etc., as well as for crickets 
and grasshoppers. 
In winter their stomachs are found to contain very little ex- 
cept the buds of some of the trees already mentioned. They now 
often frequent the grassy tracts along the water courses and the 
frozen marsh spots in the woods in search of seeds. Lichens and 
dried leaves are occasionally eaten. Their flesh at this time is 
sometimes found to have a bitter or even turpentine taste, due 
probably to buds of the cedar or firs that have been eaten. Their 
winter habit of burrowing beneath the snow, is sometimes utilized 
to procure such food as nuts or leaves. Frozen fruit, like that of 
the high bush cranberry (Vihurnuin Opuliis) is also eaten. 
