the “forest edge,” in short—were found to be by all odds the favorite 
places of resort of the native southern Illinois species. The only other 
situation in which the numbers were above the average was pasture 
land, with 937 to the square mile. The ratios in corn and oats were 423 
and 419 to the mile, respectively. Other situations studied, and ratios in 
each, were stubble fields, 606; wheat and rye, 580; plowed ground, 626; 
waste and fallow, 708; and swamps, 710. 
The more Abundant Species—The most abundant bird in the area 
traversed was the English sparrow, about 14.5 per cent. of all the 
birds seen belonging to this species. Its average density in the whole 
area was 92 to the square mile, while in orchards it was 42%—that is, 
this species was between four and five times as abundant in orchards 
as its average for the general range. It was of course more abundant 
in yards and gardens, averaging there 597 to the square mile. In pas- 
tures and fields of small grain its numbers were 103 and 178 to the 
mile, respectively. These data are in evident agreement with what we 
know of the habits of the sparrows. As they both feed and nest most 
commonly in yards and gardens—that is, in the neighborhood of the 
house premises—they naturally resort to orchards most frequently for 
perching places—that is, for rest, shelter, and refuge. They are at- 
tracted to pastures by the fragments of grain to be found in the drop- 
pings of stock, and they turn to grain fields for food at harvest time. 
In meadows, on the other hand, they find little of either food or shelter, 
and hence average there only 53 to the square mile, or one sparrow to 
each twelve acres. English sparrows are not injurious in orchards, and 
their abundance there may be of some small benefit in their capture of 
insects, especially as food for their young. 
Next on our list in order of abundance in orchards is the mourn- 
ing dove. With a general average density of 60 to the square mile for 
the whole area, its ratio in orchards was five times as great, or 297 to 
the mile. Its other ratios larger than its general average were stubble 
fields, 111; small grain, 102; plowed ground, 74; yards and gardens, 67. 
The number of this species in the orchard seems to have no economic 
significance, as the mourning dove feeds mainly on seeds of wild plants, 
and to some extent on grain. It nests largely in trees, and this is prob- 
ably why the orchard is its favorite resting place. 
The common quail, or “bob white,’ came next in order of numbers, 
according to our data derived from 241 quails seen on these trips, so 
distributed as to give us ratios of 289 to the square mile in orchards, 
48 in shrubbery, 43 in stubble, 35 in woodlands, and 29 in grain fields, 
the other numbers being smaller than the general average for the 
whole area, which was 28 to the square mile. The number seen seems 
small for general conclusions ; but the preference of the quail for orch- 
ards in southern Illinois is still more clearly shown by our more abund- 
ant data from commercial orchards, given on page 7%. Evidently 
it is not the trees that attract it, but the cover afforded by an undis- 
turbed growth of grass and weeds between the rows. Several nests 
