THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 47 



Troy Burk, Moultine Co., 111. — I saw a dozen quail at the 

 edge of a cornfield last summer eating chinch bugs like a hog 

 eats corn. 



Earl Hawkins, Wayne Co., 111. — A closed season will not 

 give the quail eternal life. We have more here now than we 

 have ever had before, although there has been more hunting. If 

 we would provide cover for quail and feed them when neces- 

 sary we would have more of them. 



Frank Specht, Clay Co., 111. — Quail will never be thick 

 enough here to do away with the chinch bugs, even with a per- 

 manent closed season. I do not believe in their wholesale 

 slaughter, but I like to shoot a few now and then in late fall. 



J. T. Wells, Jefferson Co., 111. — I have killed quail at all 

 seasons of the year and never found a chinch bug in one yet. I 

 do not believe they eat them. 



Oran Wagner, McDonough Co., 111. — One of my neighbors 

 killed a quail when mowing stubble last fall. Its crop was so 

 full of chinch bugs that it could hardly fly. Where is Mr. 

 Wilkerson? 



Roy Slater, Fulton Co., 111. — I hope you succeed in your 

 efforts to protect the quail. The skunk ought to be protected 

 too, as he eats mostly insects and mice. 



F. O. Kiefer, Stephenson Co., 111. — Twenty years would not 

 be too long to protect quail. 



A. Kleinlein, Brown Co., 111. — My boys saved 80 quail 

 craws this year and did not find a single chinch bug. If God 

 Almighty did not want us to kill quail He would not have 

 fed the Children of Israel on quail in the wilderness. Let us 

 not take all the sport away from the farm boys. Things are 

 blue enough as it is. 



Protect trie Quail 



I read a statement written by A. D. Wilkerson that 

 the quail is not a chinch bug eater. He had better go way back 

 and sit dow r n. The chinch bug is practically the only bug 

 that winters on top of the ground. He winters along the 

 hedge rows where there is plenty of leaves and grass for 

 shelter, and that is where the quail gets his daily rations. 

 I wonder if Wilkerson ever saw a covey of quail busy along 

 a sheltered fence row. If he did and passed up the chance 

 to see what they were doing he had better investigate their 

 means of getting a living the next chance he gets. 



Wilkerson says to let the hunters stir them up once in a 

 while to thin out the weak birds. Did you ever hear of a 

 hunter that asked a quail if he felt good before he shot? I 

 believe in protecting the quail not for one year or five years 

 but for all time to come. At the rate they have been slaugh- 

 tered in the last five years they will soon be like the prairie 



