BIRDS AND WEEDS 



and the number of insects, larvae, and eggs they destroy 

 in a season is uncountable. Many of the insects preyed 

 upon are of the kinds which pass the larval stage of 

 their lives underground. These grubs do immense 

 damage by eating the roots of cultivated crops, grasses, 

 seedling trees, and shrubs. The majority of species 

 of birds search for insects on the ground, on vegeta- 

 tion, and in the air. The quail takes them both from 

 above ground and underground, and thus renders man 

 a double service. The report of the United States 

 Biological Survey says : — 



" It is reasonable to suppose that in the States of 

 Virginia and North Carolina from ist September to 

 30th April there were four quails to every square 

 mile of land. The crop of each bird holds half an 

 ounce of seed, and is filled twice a day. Since at each 

 of these two daily meals harmful weed seeds con- 

 stitute at least half the contents of the crop, half an 

 ounce daily is consumed by each bird. On this basis 

 the total consumption of harmful weed seeds by quails 

 from September to April in Virginia and North 

 Carolina amounts to 1,341 tons." 



As destructive insects form about one-third of the 

 bird's food from June to August, quails consume 341 

 tons of these pests in these States within those two 

 months. 



Few, if any, birds other than the quail will eat 

 that terrible pest, the potato bug or Colorado beetle. 

 The quail, however, has a special liking for it and eats 

 it greedily, and will abandon all other food so long as 

 plenty of these beetles are obtainable. If for no 

 vol. t. 113 8 



