572 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[APRIL 9, 1910. 
lived out his time, would have destroyed a great 
multitude of harmful insects and so would have 
done good service to the farmer. 
Although grain has not been found in the 
crops of any of these grouse, there is no doubt 
that it is eaten when obtainable. The birds are 
often seen scratching in the roads, presumably 
for oats dropped by the horses, and I have vivid 
recollection of a partridge which one winter 
could be started two or three times a day at the 
head of a little pond where corn had been scat¬ 
tered at the edge of the water to attract the 
black ducks. This grouse frequented the place 
all through the winter to feed on the scat¬ 
tered grain. Buds and the leaves of poplar, birch 
and willow form a large portion of the food of 
the grouse. It is said that the buds of the black 
birch are sometimes eaten so largely that they 
impart a taste to the bird’s flesh. In Alaska E. W. 
Nelson found the grouse feeding on spruce buds 
and declared that the flesh had become bitter 
from this diet. There was long a belief that 
the flesh of the ruffed grouse was sometimes 
poisonous because it ate the buds of the laurel. 
The statement was made by Alexander Wilson, 
and cases are quoted by Mr. Judd to show that 
there is foundation for the belief. On the other 
hand birds which had fed on laurel, have been 
eaten without any resulting harm. It is quite 
possible that where injury has ensued, it came 
from leaving the bird undrawn for a long time 
after death, when the poison from crop and in¬ 
testines spread itself through the flesh. Grass, 
flowers and especially red clover are often found 
in the crop of the ruffed grouse, and many other 
plants in small quantities. 
Few birds are more local in their habits than 
the ruffed grouse, and one who is familiar with 
their ways can usually visit the same spot in the 
woods at the same time of the day and be quite 
sure of starting a bird. A brood of birds started 
and scattered in all directions will be found a 
few hours later within a few hundred yards of 
the place from which they flew. I believe that 
a circle with a diameter of half a mile will cover 
the range of a brood of ruffed grouse in sum¬ 
mer or of individuals in winter. In spring and 
autumn, of course, there are marked changes of 
location, the causes of which are not well under¬ 
stood. We merely know that these changes take 
place, and that they shift their ground with the 
seasons, usually being found in different places 
in summer, autumn and winter. The bird has 
a certain place for resting—basking in the sun 
or wallowing in the dust—another for feeding 
and another for drinking. Very often it passes 
between these different places on foot, but not 
infrequently it flies. It is perhaps during their 
flights in new and unfamiliar localities that they 
dash themselves against houses or other obsta¬ 
cles. Occasionally they are killed by flying 
against telegraph wires. .. 
When a grouse flies, it is likely to fly swiftly 
and straight at a distance of not more than from 
thiee to thirty feet above the ground. As it 
approaches the place where it wishes to alight 
it sets its wings and sails straight for the place 
and there alights on the ground. I do not think 
that it ever turns up in the air as a quail does, 
but on the other hand I have never seen a bird 
actually alight. In winter I have, however, seen 
where they had come to the ground after a short 
flight and the impression of the bird’s breast in 
&e snow two or three inches deep. The breast 
evidently came down very close to the ground, 
sweeping away the snow, and the grouse came 
to its feet at once. 
I have seen a bird fly from the top of a high 
hill to a piece of woods much lower down. It 
came straight until it was almost over the woods, 
and then making a wide half circle swiftly low¬ 
ered and alighted among the dry leaves not more 
than twenty steps from where I was. 
[to be concluded.] 
Passenger Pigeon Investigation. 
Clark University, Worcester, Mass., April 4. 
—Editor Forest and Stream: The following is 
the list of awards to date, with conditions gov¬ 
erning them: 
For first information, exclusive and confiden¬ 
tial, of the location of a nesting pair or colony 
of wild or passenger pigeons anywhere in North 
America, when properly confirmed and if found 
by confirming party with parent birds and eggs 
or young undisturbed: 
Colonel Anthony R. Kuser will pay an award 
of $300. John Lewis Childs will pay an award 
of $700. This means that the first nesting dis¬ 
covered, if found undisturbed by confirming 
party, will draw a prize of $1,000. This amount 
may be increased by local awards. 
For first nesting discovered in the following 
States: 
John Burroughs, New York. $100 
A. B. F. Kinney, Massachusetts. 100 
Anonymous, Massachusetts, for second find 100 
Allan B. Miller, for first nesting found in 
Worcester county, Mass. 20 
Edward Avis, Connecticut. 100 
H. S. Hathaway, Rhode Island.. 100 
Worthington Society, New Jersey. 100 
John Dryden Kuser, for second nesting 
found in New Jersey. 10 
Henry W. Shoemaker, Pennsylvania (adds 
$25 if nest is protected). 125 
W. B. Mershon, Michigan. 100 
R. W. Mathews, Minnesota. 100 
Prof. C. O. Whitman and Ruthven Deane, 
Illinois . 100 
John E. Thayer, to be assigned April 15. ... 500 
John Lewis Childs, to be divided to finds 
after first . 500 
For expenses of investigation: 
C. F. Hodge, for office and traveling.$100 
John T. Thayer, for confirming of reports. 100 
National Association of Audubon Societies 
(Wm. Dutcher) . 100 
George Bird Grinnell, for minor expenses.. 25 
John S. Sage . 20 
C. K. and Chester A. Reed, for leaflet and 
colored plate . 400 
Total to date..$3,800 
1 he purpose of the above offers is to secure 
an intelligent search of the American continent 
for breeding pigeons in the hope that if found 
the species may be saved from extermination. 
None of the money has been paid in and none 
will be called for until nests have been reported 
and confirmed or until expenses have exceeded 
$100. Expenses to date about $18. 
All above awards are offered solely and only 
for information of location of undisturbed nest¬ 
ings. We do not desire possession of any birds 
alive or dead, but are working solely to save the 
free wild pigeon. 
To insure intelligence and good faith, inform¬ 
ants of nestings are advised to agree to forfeit 
at least $5 in case they have failed to identify 
the birds correctly. This is only fair, since the 
amount will cover but a small part of tl^ loss 
occasioned by a false report. The money will 
be immediately returned if the birds are found 
to be the true wild or passenger pigeon ( Ecto - 
pistes migratorius). In the case of nesting pig¬ 
eons there can be no excuse for sending in false 
reports. 
Priority of claim will be decided by time of 
receipt at post or telegraph office. Awards will 
be equally divided if two or more letters or mes¬ 
sages bear record of same date and hour. 
A number of encouraging reports have been 
received covering a wide territory—New Hamp¬ 
shire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, 
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ontario, Wisconsin, Ne¬ 
braska, Kansas — of pigeons observed during 
1909. Still not a single instance of the birds 
seen this spring has come in to date. Now is 
the time. Bendire’s earliest record of nesting 
is for the first week, in April, in Wisconsin and 
Iowa; latest dates of nesting, June 5 and 12, 
for Connecticut and Minnesota. The next two 
months ought to decide the question whether the 
great North American pigeon is extinct or not. 
A soon as a pigeon nesting is found and surely 
identified, telegraph or write the undersigned, 
who will arrange for confirming party and for 
payment of the awards. C. F. Hodge. 
Yellowstone Park Spring Notes. 
We are informed on the very best authority 
that in the northern part of the Yellowstone Park 
comparatively few elk have died within the park 
—less than died last year when the death rate 
was not excessive. 
As earlier stated, a large part of the antelope 
herd escaped from the park during the winter, 
but Major Benson on his return from leave 
started out a force of men, including scouts, 
packers and soldiers, and this force succeeded 
in rounding up and returning to the reservation 
some 800 or 900 antelope. The herd is now in 
good condition, and is once more under careful 
supervision. 
Major Benson spent not a little time during 
the winter of 1908-1909 in the work of poison¬ 
ing and shooting coyotes. The result seems to 
have been successful, for this spring but few 
coyotes have been seen. 
The early part of the month of March was 
extremely mild. Persons who were going on 
skis to the Yellowstone Park were in many 
places obliged to discard their skis and walk on 
the ground. The snow seems to be going fast, 
and it is predicted that at the time of the open¬ 
ing there will be less snow than for many years. 
Dr. Way and Mr. Shaw r , who recently went 
from the Mammoth Hot Springs to the lake, 
saw a bunch of the wild buffalo in Pelican Basin 
about twenty miles from the Yellowstone Lake. 
Twenty head were counted and the animals ap¬ 
peared to be in good condition. 
It is predicted that travel in the Yellowstone 
Park will this year be heavier than last year, 
during which the park was visited by more peo¬ 
ple than ever before. 
The Forest and Stream may he obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
