CALIFORNIA QUAIL. 49 



thither for water during the day, and by waiting until many birds 

 were bunched the hunters killed at least a score at each discharge of 

 the gun. In a week of this butchery 8,400 quails were killed. A 

 record of 525 birds to four guns in a day in February, 1903, near San 

 Diego, Cal., shows that birds are still abundant there, though far less 

 numerous in most places than formerly." 



The California quail, though not a large consumer of insects, is a 

 useful bird, since weed seeds constitute more than half of its food. 

 In some regions these birds suffer from the curtailment of their food 

 supply by droughts, and in the northern part of their range many 

 are killed by severe winters. Bendire states that during the exces- 

 sively cold winter of 1887-88, when the mercury dropped to 28° 

 below zero in the northeastern corner of California, these quail per- 

 ished in great numbers.'' 



The California quail might be introduced successfully in many sec- 

 tions between California and Texas where it does not occur at present. 

 It already has been introduced into Colorado, where it will be pro- 

 tected by law at all seasons until 1920. Laws to prevent trapping 

 and to limit the day's bag, together with absolute protection in sec- 

 tions where necessary, should suffice to preserve this beautiful species. 



FOOD HABITS. 



The general food habits of this quail have been ascertained by the 

 examination of 601 stomachs, and it proves to be one of the most 

 largely vegetarian of game birds. The material for investigation 

 was collected in California, and represents every month of the year 

 except May. Insects furnished but 2.15 per cent of the food, and 

 leaves, seeds, and fruit 97.85 per cent. 



Insect and Other Animal Food. 



The 2.15 per cent of animal food eaten by this quail is distributed 

 as follows : Spiders, 0.03 per cent ; beetles, 0.22. per cent ; grasshoppers 

 and crickets, 0.24 per cent; ants and other Hymenoptera, 0.67 per 

 cent ; miscellaneous insects, 0.99 per cent. The beetles are both adults 

 and larvae, and belong to the following families: Chrysomelidte (leaf- 

 eating beetles), Tenehrionidce (darkling beetles), Elateridce (wire- 

 worms), GaraljidK (ground beetles), Dermestidit? (dermestids), Goc- 

 cinellidce (ladybirds), and snout beetles (suborder Rhynchophora) . 

 The leaf -eating beetles include Diahrotica soroi\ a western representa- 

 tive of the destructive twelve-spotted cucumber beetle. Flea beetles 

 also are eaten, including species of the genus Haltica. Among the 



a Recreation, vol. 18, p. 368, 1893. 



6 Life Hist. N. Am. Birds [I], p. 26, 1892. 



