﻿FOOD 
  HABITS. 
  55 
  

  

  secalinus 
  (fig. 
  10) 
  and 
  Bromus 
  hordeaceus) 
  , 
  a 
  serious 
  grain 
  pest, 
  

   are 
  relished, 
  and 
  hundreds 
  of 
  the 
  grain-like 
  seeds 
  of 
  the 
  grass 
  known 
  

   as 
  ' 
  poison 
  darnel 
  ' 
  (Lolium 
  temulentum) 
  appear 
  in 
  crops 
  examined. 
  

   Macoun, 
  quoting 
  Spreadborough, 
  states 
  that 
  in 
  British 
  Columbia, 
  

   where 
  it 
  winters 
  successfully, 
  the 
  quail 
  finds 
  shelter 
  in 
  severe 
  weather 
  

   under 
  the 
  broom 
  (Cytisus 
  scoparius), 
  which 
  in 
  places 
  grows 
  abun- 
  

   dantly 
  and 
  yields 
  seed 
  for 
  subsistence^ 
  

  

  The 
  quail 
  feeds 
  also 
  at 
  times 
  on 
  mast. 
  A. 
  K. 
  Fisher, 
  in 
  the 
  western 
  

   foothills 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada, 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  July 
  found 
  both 
  young 
  

   and 
  adult 
  quail 
  eating 
  young 
  acorns. 
  & 
  Small 
  quantities 
  of 
  sedge 
  

   seeds 
  (Car 
  ex 
  and 
  Scirpus) 
  and 
  of 
  dodder 
  (Cuscuta) 
  are 
  eaten, 
  the 
  

   latter 
  plant 
  being 
  a 
  destructive 
  parasite 
  on 
  leguminous 
  forage 
  crops. 
  

   The 
  miscellaneous 
  seed 
  list 
  includes 
  also 
  stick 
  seeds 
  (Lappula 
  sp.), 
  

   buttercup 
  (Ranunculus 
  sp.), 
  bind 
  weed 
  (Convolvulus 
  sp.), 
  Am- 
  

   smckia 
  sp., 
  Anagallis 
  arvensis, 
  plaintain 
  (Plantago 
  major), 
  ribgrass 
  

   (Plantago 
  lanceolata), 
  painted 
  cup 
  (Castilleja 
  sp.), 
  mountain 
  lilac 
  

  

  Fig. 
  10. 
  — 
  Seed 
  of 
  chess 
  {Bromus 
  secalinus). 
  (From 
  Bull. 
  47, 
  Nevada 
  Agricultural 
  Ex- 
  

   periment 
  Station.) 
  

  

  (Ceanothus 
  sp.), 
  and 
  black 
  wattle 
  (Callicoma 
  serrati 
  folia). 
  In 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  of 
  Lower 
  California 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  determines 
  the 
  breed- 
  

   ing 
  time 
  of 
  birds. 
  If 
  there 
  is 
  not 
  enough 
  rain 
  for 
  a 
  good 
  supply 
  of 
  

   seeds 
  the 
  coveys 
  of 
  quail 
  do 
  not 
  break 
  up 
  into 
  nesting 
  pairs 
  but 
  remain 
  

   in 
  coveys 
  throughout 
  the 
  summer. 
  If 
  the 
  season 
  is 
  wet 
  and 
  the 
  winter 
  

   rains 
  promise 
  abundant 
  food 
  the 
  birds 
  mate 
  in 
  March 
  and 
  begin 
  nest- 
  

   ing 
  immediately. 
  

  

  Food 
  of 
  the 
  Young. 
  

  

  The 
  food 
  of 
  young 
  birds 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  parents, 
  as 
  has 
  

   already 
  been 
  remarked 
  of 
  the 
  bobwhite, 
  but 
  the 
  difference 
  is 
  less 
  

   marked 
  with 
  the 
  California 
  quail. 
  Stomachs 
  of 
  32 
  } 
  r 
  oung 
  of 
  the 
  

   western 
  birds, 
  from 
  one-fourth 
  to 
  one-half 
  grown, 
  have 
  been 
  exam- 
  

   ined. 
  They 
  were 
  collected 
  from 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  July 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  

   September. 
  The 
  food 
  was 
  composed 
  of 
  3.4 
  per 
  cent 
  animal 
  matter 
  

  

  a 
  Cat. 
  Can. 
  Birds, 
  Part 
  I, 
  p. 
  198, 
  1900. 
  

   & 
  N. 
  A. 
  Fauna, 
  No. 
  7, 
  p. 
  28, 
  1893. 
  

   cLife 
  Hist. 
  N. 
  A. 
  Birds 
  [I], 
  p. 
  27, 
  1892. 
  

  

  