18 



THE OOLOGIST. 



by goiug ouL and searching for a covey, 

 which of course would be found hud- 

 dled together, so that at one shot all 

 were killed. One hunter told me of his 

 getting over one hundred birds in this 

 Avay, sometimes killing fifteen at once. 

 With this going on, the Bobwhite will 

 soon be compelled to seek shelter in 

 the dense and retired woods, just like 

 our most magnificent gamebird, the 

 Wild Turkey, has done, having been 

 persecuted by the so-called sportsman 

 but whose proper title is the "Destroy- 

 er and Persecutor of Innocent Birds." 



Another cruel way of killing them is 

 by netting, a practice which has not 

 been very long used. When a covey is 

 found the net is put into position and 

 the thoughtless birds allow themselves 

 to be driven into it by men on horse- 

 back. In this way the whole covey is 

 caught. 



Once had the opportunity to see how 

 this was carried out and I never wish 

 to see such a scene again, 'for it was 

 really heart-rending to see those home- 

 less little birds murdered. Oh! if be- 

 fore they went into their death trap, 

 the thought would have struck the 

 leader to fly, for then all would have 

 followed and escaped the awful end 

 which they met a few minutes later. 

 Dogs had been sent out searching the 

 fields and soon a beautiful pointer sud- 

 denly stopped. Such a picture, with 

 his left front foot slightly raised, his 

 tail erect and every muscle quivering; 

 for he had found a covey of fifteen 

 Bobwhites, who thoughtless of the dan- 

 ger which they were in, remained still. 

 Soon a net was placed several yards in 

 front of where the birds were, and two 

 men came up on horseback to drive the 

 poor birds into the net. The worse 

 part was later on when all had been 

 secured. Then the work of destruction 

 commenced. After the skulls of the 

 innocent birds were mashed on the 

 brain, they were thrown in a bag; there 

 to die in agony. 



The Bobwhite is one of the best 

 friends the farmer has and it is with a 

 sorrowful heart that I think of the way 

 they are treated in return for the harm- 

 ful insects and destructive bugs, which 

 would, if not eaten by these birds, 

 destroy half his crop. One very sensi- 

 ble farmer once said to me, ' Several 

 years ago I would kill a Partridge as 

 readily as a Crow but once I saw a whole 

 covey in my wheat field destroying bugs 

 and insects which would otherwise 

 have ruined my crop and since then 

 have never killed one." Another said, 

 "Would rather have my best dog killed 

 than a covey of birds." But still the 

 destruction of our gamebird goes on 

 and unless some new and unforseen re- 

 striction arises, the familiar and well 

 known note of the male will not be 

 heard echoing throughout the wood- 

 land or when we go collecting will we 

 be surprised by the whirl and rustle of 

 the wings of a covey which have been 

 startled from its roosting place. May 

 the day be far off when we shall say: 



"Once they were here but now they're gone 

 The Quails have perished, we're left to mourn 



And weep without a comforter, 

 These birds can ne'er return." 



All the larger Hawks are enemies to 

 them, although their food consists 

 mostly of mice, grasshoppers, rats, 

 frogs, etc., if a Quail is seen it is almost 

 sure to be caught and eaten. I have 

 seen both Cooper's and Red-tailed 

 Hawks chasing these birds. It is very 

 likely that many of their nests are brok- 

 en up on account of being placed upon 

 the ground, and but for the large num- 

 ber of eggs laid, there is no doubt but 

 that they would be very rare by this 

 time. 



The young from a nest, together with 

 the parents, will remain together dur- 

 ing the whole winter if not disturbed. 

 They always roost upon the ground 

 sometimes in the middle of an open 

 field, often in a thicket or in the woods, 

 and when roosting they sit near togeth- 



