﻿THE 
  BOBWHITE 
  AND 
  OTHER 
  QUAILS. 
  OE 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  

   STATES 
  IN 
  THEIR 
  ECONOMIC 
  RELATIONS. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  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 
  species 
  

   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 
  appear 
  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 
  West. 
  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 
  New 
  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— 
  No. 
  21—05 
  m 
  2 
  7 
  

  

  