LHTT]:R OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C, July 31, 1905. 

 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith, for i:)ublication as BuJ- 

 letin 21 of the Biological Survey, a report on the quails of the United 

 States and their economic value, by Sylvester D. Judd. The quails 

 as a group are perhaps better known through the country than 

 any other birds. From the time of the first settlements in New Eng- 

 land and Virginia till the present day they have been favorite objects 

 of pursuit by sportsmen, and are widely known as table delicacies. 



The chief jjurpose of the present paper is to consider the quails 

 in their economic relations to the farmer — relations not so \Yell under- 

 stood as thej deserve to be. Investigation shows the birds to be no 

 less important in their economic than in their other relations to man. 

 They are found to be exceedingly valuable allies of agriculture be- 

 cause of the quantity of noxious insects and weed seeds they destroy, 

 while the harm they do is insignificant. 



I am indebted to my assistant, E. W. Nelson, for preparing the 

 introduction and critically reading the text, and to the Bureau of 

 Entomology for the identification of many of the insects mentioned. 

 Respectfully, 



C. Hart Merri vm, 

 Chief Biuloffical Survey. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



iSerretury of Agrieidture. 



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