Show USEFUL ON THE FARM 1300 WHITE AND RUFFED GROUSE EAT MANY INSECTS levery effort should 8 be a made to A augment ug number of birds by protecting them from enemies and by provid providing ing good nests ny by it W HENSHAW at the present time many kinds of useful birds need direct intervention in their behalf as never neve r before tho the encroachments encroach ments of civilization on timbered tracts and the methods of modern modem intensive cultivation by destroying ying or restricting breeding grounds of birds tend to diminish their ranks the number of insect pests on the other hand Is all the time increasing by leaps and bounds through gli importations from abroad and by migration from nd adjoining JoInIng territories every effort therefore should bo be made to augment the numbers of our useful birds by protecting them from their enemies by providing nest the ruffed grouse ing ng facilities and by furnishing them food in times of 0 stress especially in winter birds occupy a unique position among the enemies of insects since their power of flight enables them at cohort phort notice to gather gathe r at points where there here are abnormal insect outbreaks an unusual abundance of grasshoppers pers far for instance in a given locality foon soon attracts the birds from a wide area and as 01 a rule their visits cease only when there are no grasshoppers left however unlike they may be in appearance structure and habits all are similar in one respect they possess a never flagging appetite tor for insects and weed seeds two useful birds quite unlike in appearance but pir in that they befriend the farmer are 60 the bobwhite and ruffed grouse the former Is known everywhere by the clear whistle that suggests BUg gets its name the bobwhite Is lai loved by every dweller in the county rouffy and is better known to more hunters in the united states than any othar game bird it Z the B Is s no less related on the table than in the field and in many states has ly been hunted too closely Fortunat Fortu natel tely y it seems to bo be tu practicable abb 3 to P propagate the bird in captivity and mutch m ch Is to bo be hoped for in this direction half the food of this quail cons consists of meed ced seeds almost a fourth of grain a abid d about a tenth of wild fruits although alt ough thus eating grain the bird ats moat of it from stubble the beautiful I 1 u ff e d grouse Is found in the no northern nor arthe thenn r 1 I t two 0 thirds of the united states and an in the forested parts of canada this r h is tho the famed drummer and finest g game rolard ird of the northern woods Is unusual unusually a I 1 I 1 wild and wary and under reasonable protection will withstand stand the attacks attack i of hunters more over when deduc reduced d in numbers it responds to prote c culon ton lit in a gratifying and has hag proved to be well adapted to atlon under artificial conditions tal alin 1 I arof fruits its and browse make up lip the k of the vegetable food of thlu sp species ecles the most important pests pesta deloures delou red by this bird are tho the potato beethe bee clover root toot weevil the striped flea beetle apelle lp elle grape vine leaf beetle may bet bf atles lea grasshoppers cotton worms army ar ny worms cutworms cut worms the larvae red humped f worm and sawfly while ilia economic record of the ruffed grouse is it does riot not call tor for inores stringent protection than Is necesser necess necessary nr to maintain the species in to reasonable reason aple ale numbers |