THE FLORIDA BOB WHITE. 7 



2. Colinus virginianus floridanus (CouES). 



FLORIDA BOB WHITE. 



Ortyx virginianus var. floridanus COUES, Key to North American birds, 1872, 237. 

 Colinus virginianus floridanus STEJNEGER, Auk, II, January, 1885, 45. 



(B , C 389, R 480a, C 572, U 889o.) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE: Florida, except the extreme southern portion. 



This somewhat smaller and darker race is found only in Florida. Dr. W. 

 L. Ralph, who has enjoyed excellent opportunities of studying the habits of the 

 Florida Bob White, and is well known as a reliable and careful observer, writes 

 me as follows: "It is still common throughout the northern and central parts of 

 the State, and probably in the southern portions as well, but they are not nearly 

 so abundant as formerly, owing to the persecution they receive from northern 

 visitors and negroes, and to the want of efficient game laws. They are very 

 tame and confiding, and when not molested prefer to live near man, probably on 

 account of greater security from the attacks of beasts and birds of prey. They 

 become much attached to the localities where they breed, and seldom wander far 

 from these, even when much persecuted. I have known cases where they were 

 hunted day after day until their number was reduced to two or three birds to 

 each covey, yet those which were left could always be found at their old places 

 of resort. The localities they like best are open woods grown up with saw 

 palmettos or low bushes, or fields with woods near them, and they are partic- 

 ularly fond of slovenly cultivated grounds that have bushes and weed^ growing 

 thickly along their borders." 



The pairing season commences early. Mr. J. F. Menge writes me: "In 

 Lee County, Florida, it nests sometimes as early as February 15. A dry 

 secluded spot is selected for a nesting site, usually under a saw palmetto or low 

 bush in open woods or in a field thickly grown up with grass and weeds." 



Mr. W. E. D. Scott states, " The Florida Bob White is abundant in the 

 vicinity of Tarpon Springs, and breeds in numbers in early April. At least two 

 broods are raised, as I have found birds but a few days old in the first week in 

 July." 



Their general habits are similar to those of its northern relative. Their 

 food consists of insects of various kinds, small seeds, and cabbage-palm berries, 

 and their various notes resemble those of the Bob White. Mr. Scott heard 

 males singing as early as January 19, 1889, and February 7, 1890. The 

 average number of eggs laid varies from eleven to thirteen. Mr. Menge has 

 found as many as twenty-three in' one nest, however. Two and probably three 

 broods are raised in a season. The eggs resemble those of Colinus virginianus 

 in every respect. The average size of twenty-three specimens is 30 by 24 

 millimetres, the largest measuring 31.5 by 24.5, the smallest 28.5 by 23 

 millimetres. None are figured. 



