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Pat BR AR 
QUAIL-FOOD PLANTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN 
2 STATES 
By Auec C. Martin, junior biologist, Section of Food Habits, Division of Wildlife 
Research, Bureau of Biological Survey 
CONTENTS 
Page Page 
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Plant descriptions and comments-_-_-____---_-_- 2 
INTRODUCTION 
The Southeastern States form the heart of the range of the eastern 
bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus virgimanus). There this bird is 
most abundant, and there it is most hunted. There also, the greatest 
efforts are being made to preserve and increase the species. 
The purpose of this circular is to facilitate recognition of the more 
important quail-food plants of the region and thus aid in fostering their 
production either in the wild or the cultivated state. The three main 
features of the publication are: (1) A list of the chief quail-food plants 
arranged in order of their use, (2) brief descriptive treatments of the 
various species, and (3) illustrations of 28 important plants and their 
seeds. 
RANKED LIST OF PLANTS 
The basic information for the evaluation of merit of quail-food plants 
has been obtained from records in the files of the Section of Food 
Habits, Division of Wildlife Research, Bureau of Biological Survey. 
Conclusions are based on data derived from the analysis of stomach 
and crop contents of more than 2,000 bobwhites taken in all months 
in the Southeastern States. The data represent the findings of a 
number of investigators from 1900 to 1934 but the chief contribu-_ 
tion was made by Herbert L. Stoddard and Charles O. Handley in 
recent (1924-29) studies in connection with the cooperative quail 
investigation. 
Forty-six food items are listed, the relative position of each being 
determined by the percentage it constituted in the total bulk of food 
present in the stomachs of the birds examined. The ranking is not 
necessarily final; furthermore some of the items rated comparatively 
low may be of much importance in certain localities, at particular 
seasons, or in connection with special phases of the bobwhite’s life 
history. The list as here presented, however, should be instructive in 
indicating the relative extent of actual use of various food plants by the 
bobwhite. 
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