COMPARISON WITH FOOD OF OTHER QUAILS 
On the basis of food reports by Handley (10, p.124), Gorsuch 
Creel ome Capa 4c). ianduSummer (CllM ipo, 175-176), bets 
possible to compare the food of the scaled quail, as determined in 
this study, with thet of the bobwhite, Gembel'’s quail, and the Cali- - 
fornia quail. - Tnese comparisons are shown in table 2. 
TABLE 2.--Summary of the food tendencies of four American species of quail 
Species Stomachs Animal — Vegetable Gravel ~ Authority Bh: 
ea Sole He CE VIA OOTIN PHM OS CIAL Te i AN an 
Number Pct Pet Pet 
sceled quail.... 258 o1L.88 MSc ile 10.98 Kelso 
Bobwn ite sees, 1,659 14.41 S15), DS) 3.46 Handley (10) 
Gambel's quail 3/ Ls Do 82 91.58 20.00 Gorsuch (6) 
California quail 601 Bs 97.85 = Judd (2) 
Ome Se 102 38 99,62 14. 76 Sumner (11) 
2/ Mambers underscored in parentheses refer to "Literature Cited," 
at the end. 
3/ The remaining 1.43 percent consisted of "items occurring only 
as traces." 
By comparison with Handley's report it was noted that the scaled 
quail had eaten less vegetable food, less fruit, more green herbage, and 
more grit than had the bobwhite. A comparison of data from 178 stomachs 
of Gambel's quail from southern Arizone and New Mexico with the data on the 
scaled quail reveals the fact that, in the same habitat, the two species 
have quite similar food habits, yet, on the basis of yearly food, Gambel's 
quail subsists on less than a third of the proportion cf animal matter taken 
by the scaled quail. Both tnese species tend to teke less herbage and grit 
end more animal matter in summer than in winter. Seeds, principally from 
legumes, are the staple food of both species. 
The food of the California quail differs markedly from that of the 
Sceled in the proportions of animal end vegetable metter present, Of the 
four species here discussed, the scaled quail is the least vegetarian, and 
the California the most. Furthermore, the California bird is a more pro- 
nounced fruit eater. 
SUMMARY 
The main tendencies in food habits of tne scaled quail indicated in 
the data herein presented may be summarized as follows; 
The food of 258 adults was composed principally of vegetable matter 
(78.12 percent), mostly seeds. In agricultural districts cultivated grains 
ena 
