CALIFORNIA QUAIL. 13 
Water crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis).... 2.0.0.0 0.020 c eee eee eee 3 
Miner’s lettuce (Montia perfoliata). . 2.22.22... 200000 26 
Red maids (Calandrinia menztest). . 2.22.2... 2 eee eee 58 
Pigweed (Chenopodium album)... .....-.. 0222-000 cece cece cece cence eee ll 
Rough pigweed (Amaranthus retroflerus)...--. 22.22.0000 020 eee 17 
Corn spurry (Spergula arvensis). ... 2-2... 2.22 eee eee eeceeeeeee 1 
Common chickweed (Stellaria media). ..........0.220000000 0000 cece cee eee 62 
Field chickweed (Cerastiwm arvense)......--..00.00020 02 0c cece c eee ee eee 2 
Sleepy catchfly (Silene antirrhina).. 2.2.2.0... 2.020000 cee eee ees 58 
Black bindweed (Polygonum convolvulus)..........0..220.2020-002- 22sec 1 
Dotted smartweed (Polygonum punctatum).......-....2.202000000-0-00 22 -ee 2 
Common knotweed (Polygonum lapathifolium)........-.-....-2-2-22-2.2---- 2 
Wire grass (Polygonum aviculare)... 22.22.2222 eee cece eee eee 55 
Curly dock (Rumex erispus). 2 sccccon eos tonodiecesseeeda ghee ssbecede te cceeess 9 
Sorrel (Rumex acetosella).... 2.22222 oe eee cece eee eee 59 
Sedge:(Canet sp.) e i: keene dete weet noe veka cegiaoaasene eed cone lace 26 
Galingale: ( Cyperus Di) xs ie%sceis sissd oe ces eeteeas ook 2 Oe ate Bence omen es 7 
Rag grass (Lolium perenne). .......-..2.22- 22-2022 eee eee cee eee 56 
Soft brome (Bromus hordeaceus) ........-.--- 2-2-2222 2 2 eee eee eee eee eee 3 
Cheat, or chess (Bromus secalinus)...-..-.-2--2--2-2+-2-020202 20 2c ee ee eee eee 18 
Walk grass (Poaannua)s. scseue ocex ee nes eee yo 5 eeu Sb Bee ees Bees ee ss Shee 29 
Timothy: (Phlewin: pratense) :.c).0:0.8 Ja seisee esas soos s eeee eee ears oes ee Raee 1 
Bear grass (Stipa setigera)......-.----------- Beate earsietc ciaeiat estate Sai 5 
Canary grass (Phalaris caroliniana)......---.---+202 02-22 e eee ee eee ee eee 2 
Unidentified seeds, mogtly ground up......---.---------+++-+22+ee eee eee 293 
From this list it would appear that bur thistle, lupines, bur clover, 
and turkey mullein are the favorite seeds; that the others are not 
distasteful is shown by the quantities found in some stomachs. For 
instance, mayweéd was identified in only 27 stomachs, yet one stom- 
ach contained at least 2,000 of these seeds; pigweed (Chenopodium) 
in but 11, yet one contained 1,000. One stomach held 83 kernels of 
barley, 592 seeds of geranium, 560 of tarweed, 40 of bur thistle, 48 of 
clover, 80 of alfilaria, 704 of timothy, 32 of catchfly, and 5 of snow- 
berry, or 2,144 seeds in all. Another contained 1,696 geranium seeds, 
14 bur thistle, 24 knotweed, 14 tarweed, 38 bur clover, 148 alfilaria, 
12 ray grass, and 1 unknown seed, and a pod of uncertain origin—in 
all 1,944 seeds and a pod. In both cases the contents of the crop is 
included with that of the stomach or gizzard. These samples indicate 
considerable variety in the quail’s diet, even in one meal. 
Grass and other forage constitute a little over 25 percent of the 
quail’s annual food. Forage amounts to less than 1 percent in June, 
remains about the same until October, and increases somewhat in 
November. In January it becomes important, and it reaches nearly 
60 percent of the food for the next four months. The maximum, 85 
percent, occurs in March; but this percentage, based on only one 
stomach, can not be considered final. Seeds and forage are practically 
complementary to each other—that is, as one increases the other de- 
creases. June, which shows the least forage, has the largest percentage 
of seeds. Taeves of red and of bur clover and of alfilaria were the 
