﻿FOOD 
  HABITS. 
  37 
  

  

  said 
  that 
  the 
  present 
  investigation 
  shows 
  no 
  appreciable 
  injury 
  to 
  

   cultivated 
  fruit, 
  but 
  a 
  marked 
  liking 
  for 
  wild 
  fruit. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  

   interesting 
  to 
  note, 
  also, 
  that 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  is 
  not 
  nearly 
  so 
  frugiv- 
  

   orous 
  as 
  the 
  ruffed 
  grouse. 
  

  

  LIST 
  OF 
  FRUITS 
  EATEN. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  percentage 
  of 
  wild 
  fruits 
  yearly 
  consumed 
  is 
  compar- 
  

   atively 
  small, 
  the 
  variety 
  is 
  great, 
  as 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  appended 
  list, 
  

   which 
  includes 
  only 
  those 
  actually 
  ascertained 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  eaten. 
  A 
  

   few 
  careful 
  observers 
  could 
  easily 
  double 
  the 
  number. 
  

  

  Cabbage 
  palmetto 
  (Inodes 
  palmetto). 
  Smooth 
  scarlet 
  sumac 
  (Rhus 
  glabra). 
  

  

  Saw 
  palmetto 
  (Serenoa 
  serrulata). 
  Holly 
  {Ilex 
  opaca). 
  

  

  Solomon's 
  seal 
  (Polygonatum) 
  . 
  Black 
  alder 
  (Ilex 
  verticillata) 
  . 
  

  

  Greenbrier 
  (Smilax 
  sp.). 
  Climbing 
  bittersweet 
  (Celastrus 
  scan- 
  

   Wax 
  myrtle 
  ( 
  Myrica 
  cerifera 
  ) 
  . 
  dens 
  ) 
  . 
  

  

  Bayberry 
  (Myrica 
  carol 
  inensis). 
  Frost 
  grape 
  (Vitis 
  cordifolia). 
  

  

  Mulberry 
  (Morns 
  rubra). 
  Flowering 
  dogwood 
  (Cornus 
  florida). 
  

  

  Sassafras 
  (Sassafras 
  sassafras). 
  Sour 
  gum 
  (Nyssa 
  sylvatica). 
  

  

  Thimbleberry 
  (Rubus 
  occidentalis) 
  . 
  Wintergreen 
  (Gaultheria 
  procumbens). 
  

   High 
  bush 
  blackberry 
  (Rubus 
  nigro- 
  Huckleberry 
  (Gaylussacia 
  sp.). 
  

  

  baccus). 
  Blueberry 
  (Vaccinium 
  sp.). 
  

  

  Dewberry 
  (Rubus 
  procumbens) 
  . 
  Ground-cherry 
  (Physalis 
  pubescens). 
  

  

  Strawberry 
  (Fragaria 
  sp.). 
  Nightshade 
  (Solanum 
  nigrum). 
  

  

  Rose 
  (Rosa). 
  Elder 
  (Sambucus 
  canadensis) 
  . 
  

  

  Haw 
  (Cratfrgus 
  sp.). 
  Black 
  haw 
  (Viburnum 
  pruni 
  'folium) 
  . 
  

  

  Apple 
  (Malus 
  malus). 
  Honeysuckle 
  ( 
  Lonicera 
  sp.). 
  

  

  Cultivated 
  cherry 
  (Prunus 
  sp.). 
  Partridge 
  berry 
  (Mitchella 
  repens). 
  

  

  Wild 
  cherry 
  (Prunus 
  serotina). 
  Sarsaparilla 
  (Aralia). 
  

  

  Poison 
  ivy 
  (Rhus 
  radicans). 
  Woodbine 
  (Parthenocissus 
  quinquefo- 
  

   Dwarf 
  sumac 
  (Rhus 
  copallina). 
  lia). 
  

  

  Staghorn 
  sumac 
  (Rhus 
  hirta). 
  

  

  Leaves 
  and 
  Buds 
  as 
  Food. 
  

  

  The 
  bobwhite 
  does 
  not 
  approach 
  the 
  ruffed 
  grouse 
  in 
  destructive- 
  

   ness 
  to 
  leaves, 
  buds, 
  and 
  tender 
  shoots, 
  though 
  occasionally 
  it 
  samples 
  

   them. 
  It 
  eats 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  sorrel 
  sometimes, 
  both 
  yellow 
  sorrel 
  

   (Oxalis 
  stricta) 
  and 
  red 
  sorrel 
  (Rwnex 
  aceto 
  sella) 
  . 
  It 
  has 
  been 
  

   known 
  to 
  take 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  cinquefoil 
  (Potentilla) 
  , 
  and 
  is 
  extremely 
  

   fond 
  of 
  both 
  red 
  and 
  white 
  clover. 
  Captive 
  birds 
  ate 
  grass, 
  lettuce, 
  

   and 
  chickweed. 
  

  

  Insects 
  as 
  Food. 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  statements 
  to 
  the 
  contrary, 
  published 
  and 
  unpub- 
  

   lished, 
  the 
  bobwhite 
  eats 
  insects 
  in 
  every 
  month 
  of 
  the 
  year. 
  They 
  

   form 
  15.05 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  its 
  entire 
  food 
  for 
  the 
  year. 
  From 
  June 
  to 
  

   August, 
  inclusive, 
  when 
  insects 
  are 
  most 
  numerous, 
  their 
  proportion 
  

   in 
  the 
  food 
  is 
  35.97 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  variety 
  of 
  insect 
  food 
  is 
  large. 
  

  

  