THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 27 



do not mention even one Bob-white in their lists. Now it may be only 

 a meaningless coincidence, but every Ohio Christmas census since 1914 

 mentions Bob-whites. It would seem that the birds are more numerous 

 since they are not hunted. It is also likely that they are less shy and 

 census takers find them in the open, when formerly hunting dogs were 

 necessary to get them out. In every part of the state where conditions 

 are at all suited to Bob-white's welfare, observing people declare that 

 their numbers yearly increase." 



A Christmas Census Report from the State of Ohio for the year 

 191 5, taken by fourteen observers shows but 14 birds enumerated and 

 those were all counted by one observer, making an average of one bird 

 per observer. The 1922 census from the same state and over widely 

 separated parts by seventeen observers yielded 850 birds or 50 birds 

 to the observer. It is but fair to note that only twelve of the seventeen 

 observers reported quail. 



Please take note that the above report was made by Mr. Swope in all 

 fairness, omitting nothing that might be construed to cloud the issue. 

 Since the sportsmen's methods had been used prior to 191 5 in Ohio, 

 precipitating drastic quail protection there, then it follows that their 

 logic is faulty somewhere along the line. If no more than the natural 

 increase had been taken, protective measures would not have been neces- 

 sitated. 



This manifestly is not the case. The inroads made by civilization 

 make life for many wild species precarious. Shooting in no wise in- 

 creases vanishing flocks. The restoration and strict protection under 

 natural conditions, however, will accomplish just such results as shown 

 in Ohio. 



The case of Bob-white, however, differs materially from that of 

 all other game birds. Its field of labor places the bird at the head in a 

 list of beneficial birds. Its diet consists of untold quantities of weed 

 seeds and tons of injurious insects. It is aptly termed the farmer's best 

 friend. Alive and active, its value to agriculture is many times in excess 

 of its gastronomic value "en casserole." 



Under natural conditions Bob-white found ample food and ample 

 cover. Natural enemies checked its undue spread. Cover protected 

 it from its enemies. Today's food supply is still ample or even greater. 

 The fields are ravished by unchecked hordes of insects. Its enemies 

 have greatly decreased, but the decrease has not been proportional with 

 the greater decrease of natural protective cover. Then comes the 

 hunter, who in a measure, makes up the decrease in natural enemies. 

 Thus poor Bob-white is now exposed on three sides. 



Common sense dictates a policy of strictest protective conservation 

 in the case of Bob-white, particularly so in its game-bird status. Sports- 

 men the country over have everything to gain in supporting the efforts 

 of bird lovers, who are not interested in the species from a standpoint 



