RUFFED GROUSE. Hi 
of thorn apple are used for food — the cockspur thorn (Cratfrf/us cruH- 
Killl) and the scarlet tliorn {C. cocrlnea). These apple-like fruits 
illord a nutritious food. At Peterboro, N. Y., the writer ohsei-ved 
liTouse coming to thorn-apple trees durin<^ November and well into 
December. That they take lar<i:e innnbers at a uieal is shown 1)V an 
!ndivi(hial <)l)tained at St. \'incent, Miun.. which had eaten oS. 
W. II. Kobbe says that grouse eat with <rreat i*elish the small wild 
cral) apple of the Northwest {P(/rtfs rtrul<irh):^ They enjoy culti- 
vated apples, seldom missin<i: a chance at trees on the edge of Avood- 
lands. At Chocorua, X. H., in October, 1898, some of the birds killed 
in old orchards of abandoned farms had fed j)rincipally on Jipples. 
After thorn apples and partridge berries, a number of other fruits 
are also staples. The large brilliant clusters of the mountain ash 
{Sorhffs (HHericdUd) are acceptable, and the delicious wintergreen 
l>crries, with scarlet skin and snowy pulp, are also relished. The 
bayberry (Myrica carolinensis) is a favorite food wherever accessible. 
Tn grouse stomachs one often finds nothing but the little round 
granules contained in the waxy drupes of this berry. l>lueberries also 
are eaten in large quantities. A bird killed at Chocorua, X. H., July 
'Jij, 1892, had eaten a hundred l)luel)erries {Vaccinium pennsyJvani- 
(Hin)^ and one killed at Chateaugay, X. Y., in September, contained 
nbout three hundred. The high-bush blackberry and the huckle- 
berry also are eaten, as well as the cranberry. Dr. A. K. Fisher 
found 21 whole cranberries in a bird shot at Lake ^George, X. Y., 
November 2, 1901. The extent to which blackberries are sometimes 
eaten is shown by the fact that the stonuich of a grouse contained 
about 800 blackberry seeds. Another bird had eaten over a hundred 
^arsaparilla berries. An explanation of the delicious flavor of the 
ruffed grouse appears in its varied and highly flavored diet of fruit, 
herbs, and seeds. In addition to the fruits already noted the follow- 
ing kinds found in the birds examined may be named, though the 
total number mentioned in this bulletin is probably not a fourth of 
the complete list of fruits eaten by this bird : 
(Jreeiibrier (Sniilax sp. ). Wild hlacU cherry {Primus sno- 
Ilairy Solomon's seal ( Polui/ona- tiiun. 
turn Wflonim). Wild red cherry (J'runiis juinisifl- 
Smooth Solouion's seal {Polyi/onti- runica). 
turn commutatitut). Elder (Sanihuciis canadcntfis). 
Blackberry (Ruhiis nif/rohacciiy). lied elder (SunihKciis pultnis). 
Black raspberry (h'uhio^ o-'i-ideii- Black haw {\'ihi(nii(iii /trunifo- 
tali.s). liuiii). 
Raspberry (Rithus .s/r///o.s'//.v). Xaniiyberry i Mhiiniuni Iciitdf/o). 
Domestic cherry {I'nnius arium). Withe nn} {Mhuriiinii cdssiiKtidrs). 
Cultivated plum (Pruiius domes- Maple-h'aved arrow wood {Mhiir- 
tica). mitH acvrifoliuni). 
a Auk, XVII, p. 351, 1900. 
