Bobwhite 



TABLE 8. Concentrations of quail 



1 Teacher, Agricultural high school. 



I have the impression that temporary concentrations are most frequent and 

 more intense in the southerly part of the region, and especially in Missouri. They 

 also seem to occur in the irruptive area of Wisconsin. In Missouri, they seem to 

 be confined to the Ozarks and to the brushy river breaks of the prairie region 

 where the quail from the adjacent prairie congregate in winter. They doubtless 

 usually represent temporary movement of many covies to some highly palatable 

 food supply existing in great quantities for a short time on a limited area, or to 

 some covert too small for the surrounding breeding area. There is no line of 

 demarcation between concentration of several covies in one place and the com- 

 bination of several covies in one covey. Abnormally large covies are believed 

 to be simply one degree of temporary concentration. Concentrations are possibly 

 associated with the fall "shuffle" to be described later. 



"Irruptions." As compared with cyclic species like grouse, bobwhite is the 

 outstanding example of stability. His population curve for a series of years often 

 approaches a straight line, the only changes from year to year being minor ones 

 plainly traceable to bad weather, over-shooting, or other local and "visible" causes. 



