658 
FOREST AND STREALI 
December, 1919 
SOME INTERESTING NOTES FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY 
CONCERNING THINGS OF INTEREST TO THE LOVER OF OUTDOOR LIFE 
Bob-White versus Dove 
T he dove and the bob-white (alias 
quail in the north, alias partridge 
in the south) are not dissimilar 
birds. They are both of the upland, not 
unlike in size, seeking their food on the 
ground. One does not see them dabbling 
in the creek like a black duck, stalking 
fish like a heron, climbing trees like a 
woodpecker, darting about over the fields 
like a swallow, or flitting among the 
branches and leaves after the manner of 
a host of insectivorous birds. Natural- 
ists used to consider the two rather 
closely related, and, from force of habit, 
many still classify them in adjacent cate- 
gories. Both are swift flyers, though the 
dove doubtless excels in speed as it ob- 
viously does in distance flying. 
Though not gifted with the voice of the 
thrush, the calls of both species are 
among the most pleasing of nature’s 
sounds. That of the dove, which has a 
mournful cadence to most ears, would per- 
haps be missed the least, and also the 
bob-white is the more destructive to in- 
sect enemies of the farmer’s crops. 
From the point of view of domestic 
economy dove and bob-white are in 
marked contrast. The’ former lays but 
two eggs, and its squabs are at first per- 
fectly helpless end dependent on their 
parents in every way. The bob-white 
lays sometimes as many as eighteen eggs, 
and the little quails are wide-awake and 
“on their toes” from the very first. While 
they still have the appearance of small 
fuzzy chickens, they can fly like bumble- 
bees for a short distance. 
It Is plain then, that compared to the 
more or less stable year to year abund- 
ance the annual production of doves is 
email, that of bob-whites enormous. 
Query: "What becomes of the bob-white? 
In a limited degree the foxes, the weasels 
and the birds of prey can answer this 
question. By no means every quail con- 
sumed is served on toast and eaten with 
knife and fork. Probably these agencies 
about compare with legitimate shooting 
In the number of birds they account for, 
but more than shooting, are constantly 
eliminating the weaker or less alert indi- 
viduals, and improving the race. They 
become very destructive only when the 
birds are weakened by cold or hunger. 
It Is In hunger and exposure that one 
should look for the chief drain on the 
supply of bob-white. When food runs 
low or shelter is distant one sees the 
iove hurtling through the sky In search 
of either or both, but the bob-white stays 
in one general locality no matter what the 
conditions — to live or perish. 
Though writing in a natural history col- 
umn it will not be out of place to call at- 
tention to how some of these facts effect 
the availability of the two species as game 
birds. The natural production of doves 
is so low that they can not be expected to 
stand up against any considerable shoot- 
ing. When they seem to do so, we sus- 
pect the shooting is at some favorable 
point where they concentrate from a wide 
area, and the hunters are shooting out 
somebody else’s birds. However swift 
of wing or good to eat, the dove is not 
suitable for game. The natural produc- 
tion of bob-white is so high that legiti- 
mate shooting should never threaten their 
existence. Let the sportsmen help solve 
the." food and shelter problem (conserve 
the thickets, plant small evergreens, and 
plant strips of buckwheat to furnish food 
through the winter) and he will have the 
satisfaction of saving as many birds as he 
destroys. — J. T. N. 
A Gopher Above Ground 
O NE afternoon I met a gopher out 
on the desert grass. This was in 
northern Arizona several years ago. 
He seemed dazed and out of his element 
for gophers generally spend their time 
underground building sub-ways, and gen- 
erally messing up the landscape. When 
I touched him with my foot he turned on 
me peevishly and seemed entirely un- 
afraid, making no attempt to run away. 
Presently he turned his round back on me 
and commenced going south. He dug 
frantically with his large forepaws until 
he had accumulated a double handful of 
earth when he suddenly whirled about 
and pushed the earth away with his head 
and forepaws. Then he resumed digging 
and again pushed the accumulated earth 
back. This kept on until he was lost to 
sight and only a hole remained. 
Dwight Franklin, New York. 
/y , Bay Ducks of Genus Marila 
T he five species of ducks included in 
the genus Marila are the canvas- 
back, red-head, scaup, lesser scaup 
and ring-necked duck Four of these birds 
are unquestionably well known *o all 
lovers of duck-shooting, but nevertheless 
there are several things of interest about 
the group as a whole which are worth 
pointing cut. 
Ducks are divided by general consent 
into two great groups, the fresh-water, 
non-diving, river or pond ducks, and the 
salt-water, diving, sea or bay ducks, to 
which among others belong the Marilas. 
Every sportsman knows that a mallard 
or black duck “tips” fer its food, v.'l ile a 
redhead or scaup dives. This is about 
the only real distinction, however, as far 
as names go. Everybody knoivs that 
cnnvasback, and in fact the whole Genus 
Marila is more abundant in the Central 
West, where there is no salt-water, and 
who has not seen black ducl:s go out to 
sea in the North Atlantic States while on 
the Gulf Coast of Florida all the “fresh- 
water” ducks spend the whole day at sea. 
The distinction in feeding habits is un- 
doubtedly good, but let no one suppose 
that a “non-diving” duck is incapable of 
diving. He does dive, especially when 
wounded. 
What, then, are the real differences, if 
any? One will be labelled by my readers 
as a pure technicality, and they will be 
right. The hind toe in all ducks is placed 
high up, and has ceased to be of the least 
use. In the “fresh-water” ducks it is a 
normal toe, but in the “sea” ducks it is 
flattened out and looks just like a disk of 
thick skin. Hov/ this ever came about 
the writer has not the faintest idea, as it 
cannot account for any differences in 
life-histories or habits. During this hunt- 
ing season some reader may kill a black 
duck and a scaup on the same day and 
he might be interested to see for himself. 
Fortunately, however, there are much 
better differences, which are purely mat- 
ters of close observation. How is it that 
an experienced duck-hunter can tell pretty 
accurately just what a flock of ducks is 
that gets up off the water a quarter of a 
mile away? He will probably name the 
species, hut can certainly tell to which 
group they belong. It is obvious that the 
ralinity of the water has nothing to do 
with the case, nor can he see their hind 
toes! The fact is that the two groups 
can be separated by their shapes. “Fresh- 
water” ducks are comparatively slim witJi 
«lender. long necks and a comparatively 
