﻿60 
  BOB 
  WHITE 
  AND 
  OTHER 
  QUAILS 
  OF 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  G 
  in 
  November. 
  The 
  food 
  consisted 
  of 
  animal 
  matter, 
  3 
  per 
  cent, 
  and 
  

   vegetable 
  matter, 
  97 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  animal 
  food 
  was 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  

   grasshoppers, 
  0.05 
  per 
  cent; 
  beetles, 
  0.23 
  per 
  cent; 
  miscellaneous 
  

   insects, 
  including 
  ants 
  and 
  lepidopterous 
  pupae, 
  1.90 
  per 
  cent; 
  and 
  

   centipedes 
  and 
  harvest 
  spiders 
  (Phalangidce) 
  , 
  0.82 
  per 
  cent. 
  Among 
  

   the 
  beetles 
  was 
  a 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  firefly 
  family 
  (Lampyridm) 
  i, 
  a 
  ground 
  

   beetle 
  (C 
  arabidce) 
  , 
  and 
  a 
  leaf 
  beetle 
  (Haltica 
  sp.). 
  Vernon 
  Bailey 
  

   informs 
  the 
  writer 
  that 
  the 
  young 
  eat 
  many 
  ants. 
  The 
  vegetable 
  

   food 
  consisted 
  of 
  grain, 
  18.20 
  per 
  cent 
  ; 
  seeds, 
  practically 
  all 
  of 
  weeds 
  

   or 
  other 
  worthless 
  plants, 
  46.61 
  per 
  cent; 
  fruit, 
  8.11 
  per 
  cent; 
  and 
  

   miscellaneous 
  vegetable 
  matter, 
  24.08 
  per 
  cent. 
  The 
  "grain 
  included 
  

   wheat, 
  corn, 
  barley, 
  and 
  oats. 
  Of 
  the 
  seed 
  element 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  

   grasses 
  formed 
  7.78 
  per 
  cent 
  ; 
  of 
  legumes, 
  10.41 
  per 
  cent 
  ; 
  of 
  weeds 
  of 
  

   the 
  family 
  Euphoroiaceai, 
  3.16 
  per 
  cent; 
  of 
  alfilaria 
  (Erodium 
  

   cicutarium), 
  2.76 
  per 
  cent; 
  and 
  of 
  miscellaneous 
  weeds, 
  22.50 
  per 
  

   cent. 
  The 
  legume 
  seeds 
  include 
  seeds 
  of 
  alfalfa, 
  cassia, 
  bush 
  clover, 
  

   vetch, 
  and 
  lupine. 
  The 
  miscellaneous 
  seeds 
  come 
  from 
  wild 
  carrot 
  

   (Daucus 
  carota), 
  tar 
  weed 
  (Madia 
  sativa), 
  Collomia 
  sp., 
  Amsinckia 
  

   sp., 
  labiate 
  plants, 
  dwarf 
  oak, 
  snowbush 
  (Ceanothus 
  cordulatus) 
  , 
  and 
  

   thistle. 
  

  

  Concerning 
  the 
  feeding 
  habits 
  of 
  mountain 
  quail 
  of 
  the 
  dry 
  coun- 
  

   try 
  (O. 
  p. 
  plumiferus), 
  J. 
  E. 
  McClellan 
  says: 
  " 
  Their 
  feeding 
  hours 
  

   are 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  and 
  just 
  before 
  sundown 
  in 
  the 
  evening, 
  

   when 
  they 
  go 
  to 
  roost 
  in 
  the 
  thick 
  tops 
  of 
  the 
  scrub 
  live 
  oaks. 
  Their 
  

   feeding 
  habits 
  are 
  similar 
  to 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  domestic 
  hen. 
  They 
  are 
  

   vigorous 
  scratchers, 
  and 
  will 
  jump 
  a 
  foot 
  or 
  more 
  from 
  the 
  ground 
  to 
  

   nip 
  off 
  leaves." 
  This 
  bird 
  is 
  especially 
  fond 
  of 
  the 
  leaves 
  of 
  clover 
  

   and 
  other 
  leguminous 
  plants. 
  It 
  feeds 
  also 
  on 
  flowers, 
  being 
  known 
  

   to 
  select 
  those 
  of 
  Composite 
  and 
  blue-eyed 
  grass 
  (Sisyrinchium) 
  . 
  

   Flowers, 
  leaves, 
  buds, 
  and 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  vegetable 
  matter 
  form 
  the 
  

   24.08 
  per 
  cent 
  marked 
  miscellaneous. 
  The 
  birds 
  probably 
  eat 
  more 
  

   fruit 
  than 
  these 
  stomach 
  examinations 
  indicate. 
  Lyman 
  Belding 
  

   says 
  that 
  this 
  quail 
  feeds 
  on 
  service 
  berries, 
  and 
  that 
  during 
  certain 
  

   seasons 
  it 
  lives 
  almost 
  entirely 
  on 
  grass 
  bulbs 
  (Melica 
  bulbosa) 
  , 
  which 
  

   it 
  gets 
  by 
  scratching, 
  for 
  which 
  its 
  large, 
  powerful 
  feet 
  are 
  well 
  

   adapted. 
  The 
  fruit 
  in 
  its 
  bill 
  of 
  fare 
  includes 
  gooseberries, 
  service 
  

   berries 
  (Amelanchier 
  alni 
  folia), 
  and 
  grapes 
  (Vitis 
  calif 
  ornica) 
  . 
  

   The 
  bird 
  is 
  probably 
  fond 
  also 
  of 
  manzanita 
  berries, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  often 
  

   seen 
  among 
  these 
  shrubs. 
  

  

  o 
  MS. 
  Records, 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  

  

  