ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 23 I 



Rapids and Fairfax, by a hunter from Cedar Rapids." "Spring 

 and fall migrant — Limi " (Bailey). "Straggler — Mills county" 

 (Trostler). 



Order GALLIN.-E. Gallinaceous Birds. 

 Suborder PHASIANI. True Fowls. 



Family TETRAONID^. Grouse, Partridges, Quails. 



The Grouse are heavy, ground-inhabiting birds, usually found 

 in coveys or flocks after the nesting sea.son. They are the most 

 highly prized of the game birds, and their habits are too well 

 known to need description. While their food consists to a con- 

 siderable extent of grain and seeds, the large numbers of in.sects 

 which they destroy in summer make them valuable allies of the 

 farmers. Moreover, the grain which is consumed by them is usu- 

 alh' gleanings or scatterings which otherwise would be wasted. 



Subfamily PERDICIX.F:. Partridges, 

 (icnus Coi.iNrs Lesson. 



126. (289). Coiiniis I'iygiiiianiis (Linn.). Bol)-whitc. 



The Bob- white, universall\- known as "Quail" in Iowa, is a 

 common or abundant resident in all parts of the state. It was 

 much less common during the early days of .settlement of the 

 state, particularly in the northern and northwestern sections, but 

 with the clearing of the woods and cultivation of the prairies the 

 Quails became more numerous and, when protected, very tame and 

 almost .semi-domesticated at times. The cheery " bob-iohite " 

 note of the male bird may be heard during the whole summer 

 from the tops of country fence- posts. As nests with eggs are 

 found during the summer from the first of June until the last of 

 August it is probable that two broods are hatched. I found a 

 nest containing fifteen eggs June 5, 1S97, in the grass by the 

 roadside, in Hancock county, and a nest with twelve eggs by the 

 road between Spirit Lake and Okoboji, August 18, 1901, most of 

 the eggs in the latter nest being pipped. C. F. Henning (Boone) 

 records a set of fourteen eggs, August 27, and a nest with thir- 

 teen eggs one week later (O. <S: G., xviii, 1893, 143). 



Many of the Bob-whites are frozen to death during .severe win- 

 terj^a flock ijeing snowed under as it huddles in a compact bunch 



