October, 1928 
 
AMERICAN FORESTS 
 
601 
 
measure of success. He must watch the air for hawks by   than his winter
diet; but even in early autumn, when fruits, 
 
day, and at night he is menaced by the western horned owl. 
These things he has evaded with success down through the 
ages and will continue to do so, especially since man, the 
arch extinguisher of wild life, has thrown the weight of his 
-campaign against predatory animals into the balance in the 
grouse's favor.  Probably the most destructive natural 
enemy of the dusky grouse is the western goshawk, the 
swiftest and ablest bird of prey within all the grouse's range. 
 
grasshoppers, seeds and leaves abound in great variety, I 
have found crops packed with the bitter resinous needles 
and twig-tips of Douglas fir. Even in the close proximity 
of an abundance      ler food this staple is often taken 
from choice. 
There is a popular belief, apparently shared by some orni- 
thologists, that during the late summer and early autumn the 
dusky grouse subsists chiefly on a grasshopper diet. During 
 
A well concealed nest of the dusky grouse under a clump of fescue. To this
busy mother 
the camera is but an incident that must not interfere with her chief interest
in life 
 
No bird along the great range of the Rockies is better 
adapted to survive the uncertainties of mountain winters 
than the dusky grouse. Snow holds no terror for him. He 
rises above it by taking to the trees; in the deep canyons and 
dense coniferous timber there is always shelter from the 
wildest of storms. Nor is food at such times a matter of 
deep concern, as the dusky grouse seems able to thrive for 
months on the buds of shrubs, especially on the needles and 
buds of Douglas fir. I have found him wintering success- 
fully and vigorously on top of five feet of snow at 10,000 
feet above the sea in southern Colorado, at 9000 feet in 
Wyoming, and at about 5000 feet in Idaho. 
The summer food of this bird is spiced with more variety 
 
the last twelve years I have had many excellent opportunities 
to observe both young and old while feeding, often with the 
aid of a good binocular. All my observations and notes 
point to a vegetarian diet seasoned by only a few insects. 
Many kinds of plant leaves, buds, and flowers are eaten. 
Strawberries, huckleberries, raspberries, gooseberries, cur- 
rants, wild rose fruits, bearberries, and the bitter buffalo 
berry are taken freely. Both the leaves ind fruit of bear- 
berry are staple articles of diet. The fruits are probably 
taken only #or   e dry, meal7fsh, since it seems improbable 
that the stony seeds are ever digested. When the seeds of 
the Douglas fir were ripe a very large percentage of the 
birds examined in southern Colorado were found to contain