July, 1912 PRESENT AND FUTURE STATUS OF CALIFORNIA VALLEY OUAIL 
141 
their destruction allows of an increase, but this factor having- conditioned the 
(jnail population for so long a time is of less consequence than other factors. 
As there are no records of an epidemic of disease among California valley 
([nail, there seems to be little immediate danger from this direction. "Quail 
disease” and “coccidiosis,” well-known diseases of other members of the quail 
family, present a grave danger, however. A knowledge of the extent to which 
valley quail are immune to these diseases would throw valuable light on this 
subject. 
The average hunter, although almost a negligible quantity twenty years 
ago, on account of the improved facilities for transportation and the improved 
firearms, has become a very important factor. A study of the laws of nature 
governing the numbers of quail shows that this bird might be able to withstand 
a small amount of destruction during the winter open season without danger 
of impairing the average numbers from year to year. It is when the destruc- 
tion during the year nearly equals or exceeds the annual cro]:), thereby destroy- 
ing the productive brood stock for another year, that the danger point is reached. 
A regulation of the amount of shooting based on the scientific determination of 
the normal death rate of the young and adults will eliminate all danger of the 
extermination of this bird by the hunter. A serious danger also, doubtless lies 
in the modification and destruction of the food and cover of this bird contingent 
upon the settlement of the country. 
The present status of the California valley cjuail calls for conservative action 
governed by a knowledge of those factors causing a disturbance of the balance. 
In other words, strengthen those factors which cause an increase in numbers and 
weaken or destro}^ those factors which cause a decrease in numbers, and the 
quail will become subservient to our interests. The furnishing of plenty of food 
and cover, either by artificial feeding and planting, or by game preserves, the 
destruction of predatory mammals and birds, |)revention of disease, and care- 
ful regulation of the amount of hunting to permit of the survival of a suffi- 
cient number of the productive brood stock to insure an undiminished annual 
crop, are factors within our control and on these depend the future of the 
California valley quail. 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
Belding, L. 
1890. Land birds of tlie Pacific district. Occ. Papers Cal. Acad. Sci., 2, pp. 
1-274. 
Committee on inquiry of grouse disease. 
1911. The grouse in health and in disease (Smith, Elder & Co., London). 1, 
pp. xxiii-|-512, 59 pis., 31 figs, in text. 
Cooper, J. G. 
1870a. Geological survey of California. Ornithology (State Printing Office, 
Sacramento), 1, pp. xi-|-592, many figs, in text. 
1870b. The fauna of California and its geographical distribution. Proc. Cal. 
Acad. Sci., 4, pp. 61-81. 
Coues, E. 
1874. .Birds of the northwest. U. S. Geol. Surv. Misc. Puld., no. 3, pp. 1-791. 
Fisher, A. K. 
1893. Birds of the Death Valley expedition. LI. S. Dept. Agric., Div. Biol. 
Surv., N. A. Fauna, no. 7, pp. 1-158. 
Forbes, S. A. 
1903. On some interactions of organisms. Bull. 111. State Lab. Nat. Hist., 1, 
no. 3, pp. 1-18. 
