THE BOBWHITE AND OTHER QUAILS OF THE UNITED 

 STATES IN THEIR ECONOMIC RELATIONS. 



INTBODtrCTION. 



The quails of the United States, because of their interesting habits 

 and marvelous diversity of form and color, are a notably attractive 

 group. All are handsome birds, but the most striking and beautiful 

 species live in the Southwest and on the Pacific coast. .Seven sjDecies 

 occur within our borders, but only one in the Eastern States. The 

 others are widely distributed from Texas to California and Oregon. 

 Their range was, and still is, continuous along the entire southern 

 border of the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific; but there is 

 an irregular belt along the northern border and a large area in the 

 interior, comprising the Great Plains, the northern three-fourths of 

 the Great Basin, and the Rocky Mountains, in which they ajDpear to 

 have been originally wanting. 



With few exceptions our quails welcome the extension of agri- 

 culture, and the added food supply in farmed areas results in an 

 increase of their numbers. This is equally true of the bobwhite of 

 the East, and of some of the desert species of the A^'est. So fully 

 does the bobwhite appreciate the advantages of the farm that its 

 range has increased with the extension of the cultivated area, espe- 

 cially west of the Mississippi. 



The quails, because of their cheerful habits, their beauty, and their 

 value as food, are usually welcome on the farm ; but their real value 

 to agriculture is not yet generally understood. The investigations of 

 the Biological Survey show that these birds, with rare exceptions, are 

 not only harmless, but that usually they are very useful to agricul- 

 ture. This is particularly true of the bobwhite, which constantly 

 feeds on injurious weed seeds and insects, and thus renders valuable 

 service to the farmer. In return for this good service it is but fair 

 that these birds should be treated with friendly care and interest. 



The well-known bobwhite is the only quail indigenous to the East- 

 ern United States, where it ranges from southern Xew England to 

 Florida and Texas; but owing to climatic influences the birds of 

 Florida and of Texas differ enough to be distinguished as geographic 

 races. Wherever it occurs, however, the bobwhite has the same call, 

 5112— Xo. 21—05 M 2 7 



