152 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



X. ORDER GALLINJE. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS 



Large or medium sized land-birds, formerly grouped as " scratchers." They com- 

 prehend such familiar forms as chickens, turkeys, partridges, and quails. Our few 

 species fall into four families, each represented by a single genus and species. 



KEY TO FAMILIES 



1. Size very large; head naked. Meleagridce, Turkeys. 



1. Size smaller. Head feathered. See 2. 



2. Tail longer than wings. Phasianidce, Pheasants. 



2. Tail shorter than wings. See 3. 



3. Tarsus more or less feathered. Wing more than 6. CO. Tetraonidce, Grouse. 

 3. Tarsus naked. Wing less than 6.00. Odontophoridoe, Bob-whites. 



24. FAMILY ODONTOPHORID/E. AMERICAN QUAILS 



Genus Colinus (Goldf.) 



136. Colinus virginianus virginianus (Linn.}. BOB-WHITE, "PARTRIDGE," 

 " QUAIL." 



Description. Upperparts mottled grayish, tinged with rusty and waved with dusky and 

 whitish; lower parts whitish varied with black and rusty; adult males with stripe over eye and 

 broad patch covering chin, throat, and malar region white, rest of head black; sides of head 

 spotted with triangular spots of white and black. Adult females with head buff and brown instead 

 of white and black; chest mainly light cinnamon. L., 9.50-10.75; W., 4.25-4.75. 



Range. Eastern United States. 



Range in North Carolina. Whole State at all seasons. 



The most popular game bird of North Carolina is the Partridge, or "Quail" as 

 the northern hunter knows it. It ranges from the mountains to the sea. 



North Carolina contains ideal climatic and other necessary conditions for the 

 well-being of the Bob-white. Any reasonable amount of protections will insure a 

 plentiful stock of this valuable game bird for many years to come. Not being 

 dependent on the uncultivated wilderness, as are so many other forms of game, the 

 more land that is opened to cultivation, the greater has been the increase of the 



Quail. 



Wherever field peas or grain is grown, there Bob-white repairs, the stray seed 

 from the farmer's crops seeming to be much to his taste. He is credited with 

 destroying chinch bugs, grasshoppers, boll weevils, striped cucumber beetles, and 

 other injurious insects, and with varying his diet in winter with the seeds of many 

 weeds which vex the farm lands. His game qualities often enable the farmer to 

 lease the shooting privileges of his land for enough, or more than enough, to pay 

 the taxes. 



It nests both early and late, and sometimes a brood almost grown may be found 

 on November 15 (the usual opening day for shooting in the State), associated with 

 a brood of little "squealers" only just able to fly. 



The full complement of eggs is from ten to eighteen; sometimes more are found, 

 but such extraordinary sets are probably the result of two hens occupying the same 

 nest. The principal laying month is May. 



