﻿16 
  BOBWHITB 
  AND 
  OTHER 
  QUAILS 
  OF 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  market 
  hunter 
  is 
  a 
  bird 
  extermi- 
  

   nator, 
  profiting 
  at 
  the 
  landowner's 
  expense, 
  the 
  better 
  will 
  be 
  his 
  

   chance 
  of 
  an 
  income 
  from 
  his 
  crop 
  of 
  quail. 
  

  

  BOBWHITE 
  AS 
  AN 
  ARTICLE 
  OF 
  FOOD. 
  

  

  Perhaps 
  no 
  game 
  is 
  more 
  generally 
  known 
  and 
  liked 
  than 
  quail. 
  

   The 
  flesh 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  is 
  juicy, 
  tender, 
  delicately 
  flavored, 
  easily 
  

   digested, 
  and 
  nutritious. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  invalids. 
  

   To 
  the 
  farmer's 
  table, 
  where 
  fresh 
  meat 
  is 
  often 
  not 
  obtainable, 
  this 
  

   bird 
  furnishes 
  a 
  welcome 
  supply. 
  No 
  game 
  is 
  so 
  much 
  sought 
  for 
  in 
  

   market, 
  and 
  countless 
  numbers 
  are 
  sold 
  every 
  year. 
  The 
  writer 
  knows 
  

   of 
  a 
  single 
  dealer 
  in 
  Washington 
  who 
  in 
  1902 
  sold 
  100,000 
  quail. 
  

   Yet 
  the 
  supply 
  is. 
  far 
  short 
  of 
  the 
  demand, 
  and 
  the 
  price 
  is 
  constantly 
  

   rising. 
  In 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  present 
  price, 
  which 
  is 
  $3 
  to 
  $5 
  a 
  

   dozen, 
  it 
  is 
  interesting 
  to 
  recall 
  Audubon's 
  statement 
  that 
  in 
  1810 
  

   these 
  birds 
  could 
  be 
  bought 
  for 
  12 
  cents 
  a 
  dozen 
  and 
  in 
  1831 
  for 
  50 
  

   cents. 
  Then 
  they 
  were 
  on 
  the 
  tables 
  of 
  rich 
  and 
  poor 
  alike. 
  

  

  BOBWHITE 
  AS 
  AN 
  OBJECT 
  OF 
  SPORT. 
  

  

  Edwyn 
  Sandys 
  says 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  : 
  "He 
  truly 
  is 
  the 
  king 
  of 
  his 
  

   race; 
  and 
  not 
  alone 
  that, 
  for, 
  in 
  the 
  opinion 
  of 
  hosts 
  of 
  enthusiastic 
  

   sportsmen, 
  he 
  is 
  the 
  best 
  bird 
  that 
  flies." 
  The 
  well-known 
  author 
  

   T. 
  S. 
  Van 
  Dyke 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Dear 
  little 
  Bob 
  White 
  has 
  brought 
  more 
  rest 
  

   to 
  the 
  business-wearied 
  soul, 
  more 
  new 
  life 
  to 
  tired 
  humanity 
  than 
  

   nearly 
  all 
  other 
  American 
  game 
  combined." 
  The 
  pursuit 
  of 
  many 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  game 
  is 
  possible 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  distant 
  wilderness, 
  where 
  travel- 
  

   ing 
  is 
  difficult 
  and 
  the 
  exposure 
  incident 
  to 
  the 
  sport 
  may 
  be 
  danger- 
  

   ous 
  to 
  health 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  belongs 
  to 
  open, 
  

   accessible 
  country, 
  and 
  is 
  not 
  too 
  severe 
  for 
  men 
  accustomed 
  to 
  a 
  

   sedentary 
  life. 
  To 
  thousands 
  of 
  such 
  men 
  quail 
  hunting 
  is 
  the 
  yearly 
  

   means 
  of 
  restoration, 
  and 
  results 
  in 
  a 
  direct 
  benefit 
  to 
  the 
  community, 
  

   though 
  one 
  not 
  readily 
  computed 
  in 
  money 
  value. 
  At 
  a 
  conservative 
  

   estimate, 
  between 
  300,000 
  and 
  400,000 
  sportsmen 
  go 
  out 
  from 
  cities 
  

   every 
  fall 
  to 
  hunt 
  bobwhite, 
  which 
  means 
  a 
  large 
  expenditure 
  of 
  

   money, 
  much 
  of 
  which 
  goes 
  to 
  farmers 
  who 
  hold 
  shooting 
  land. 
  Such 
  

   revenue 
  is 
  timely, 
  for 
  it 
  comes 
  when 
  farm 
  work 
  yields 
  small 
  returns 
  

   and 
  employment 
  is 
  welcome. 
  Where 
  nonresident 
  licenses 
  are 
  required, 
  

   with 
  fee 
  of 
  from 
  $5 
  to 
  $25, 
  the 
  State 
  also 
  derives 
  a 
  direct 
  income 
  from 
  

   the 
  sport. 
  

  

  The 
  bobwhite 
  deservedly 
  stands 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  American 
  game 
  

   birds, 
  because 
  it 
  lies 
  so 
  well 
  to 
  the 
  dog, 
  and 
  when 
  flushed 
  springs 
  

   from 
  the 
  earth 
  like 
  an 
  arrow, 
  demanding 
  a 
  quick 
  eye 
  and 
  a 
  trained 
  

  

  o 
  Ornith. 
  Biog., 
  I, 
  p. 
  392, 
  1831. 
  

  

  

  