Some of the important facts e icited by our 
biological experiments and observations inciden¬ 
tal to rearing and liberating bobwhite may per¬ 
haps throw some light upon some causes of dis¬ 
appointing results in the numerous attempts made 
by sportsmen's associations and indivdiuals to 
restock depleted covers. 
The most significant cause of ill success ap¬ 
pears to be due to lack of knowledge of the 
importance of the family ties in this species. 
1 he family flocks keep together until the ap¬ 
proach of the breeding season. We have re¬ 
peatedly observed that a bird from another flock 
was received into full mem¬ 
bership in the family only 
after much strife, in some 
cases resulting in the death 
of the stranger. In cases 
where, for example, two 
flocks were put into the 
same box for transporla- 
tion to the place of libera¬ 
tion, the flocks quickly as¬ 
sort themselves when freed 
and seek separate feeding 
grounds. Birds from dif¬ 
ferent flocks usually do not 
unite into one flock, but 
wander apart seeking their 
old covey companions. 
Apply these facts to con¬ 
ditions which obtain in 
cases where quail are pur¬ 
chased for liberation in 
large quantities. Ordinarily 
they are trapped by boys or 
negroes in the South, a 
small number being taken 
from different flocks. These 
are then taken to the coun¬ 
try store where they are 
confined with birds similarly taken in different 
parts of the country. The original flocks are 
hopelessly mixed. They are taken North and 
liberated either in the autumn or long before 
the mating season. The birds then thus liber¬ 
ated wander off, each seeking its original flock 
companions. The chances of these birds uniting 
into coveys of reasonable size are very remote. 
If they do not so unite, the chances against 
enemies are exceedingly small. 
We have noted repeatedly that in instances 
where a covey was harassed by a cat or a fox, 
the neighborhood of the roosting place was 
changed nightly, whereas if they were undis¬ 
turbed they chose the same roosting place re¬ 
peatedly. The peculiar and well known manner 
in which the bobwhites arrange themselves is 
a great safeguard against prowling enemies, and 
the safety of any one individual is enormously 
increased in proportion to the increased size of 
the flock. 
A further complication arises as a result of 
the temporary confinement of the birds in old 
chicken coops. Here they are exposed to in¬ 
table, so frequent in domestic poultry, but to the 
effects of which domestic poultry is relatively 
immune. Then follow the diseases peculiarly 
fatal to bobwhite and known under various 
names, coccidiosis, “blackhead,” white diarrhea, 
etc., Alabama quail disease. As a resu’t of long 
confinement may follow lung diseases (either 
inflammatory or fungoid), digestive or excretory 
derangements. 
The obvious remedy for these untoward con¬ 
ditions is artificial propagation with the neces¬ 
sary precautions to grow healthy stock, and to 
prevent the spread of infectious diseases. 
George W. Field. 
Robins in Texas. 
Graxd Saline, Texas. April 24.— Editor Forest 
and Stream: Is it common to see robins in 
Texas in nesting time? A pair of robins are 
here apparently making all preparations to build 
a summer home—I hear the sweet notes of the 
male, while perched at the top of some tall 
tree, in the grove, at nightfall, and also during 
the morning hours. 
I am watching these birds with much interest, 
as I have never seen robins nest in Texas, al¬ 
though 1 have been a resident of the State for 
a number of years. 
I used to watch the home building operations 
of the robins, in my native State (North Caro¬ 
lina) with great interest, as they would carry 
the loads of mud and mould them into a perfect 
little mud house, then line them with soft ma¬ 
terial, mostly feathers, picked up around the 
poultry yard, and also some of the feathers 
from the breast of the coy little wife. 
The robin is not a common visitor to this 
section of the State at any time, and I am sur¬ 
prised. as well as interested to see this couple 
tarry here so late. 
I have been unable so far to ascertain if they 
are actually building a home or not, but hope 
to learn definitely soon. 
F. E. Whittemore. 
Rodents and Forestry. 
It has more than once been explained that a 
difficulty met with in the Western country by 
the modern forester is that the seed of forest 
trees which he sows is carried away or eaten 
by small rodents as rapidly as he can sow it. 
Mice, chipmunks and ground squirrels carefully 
go over the ground where 
the seeds have been sown 
and within a few days after 
planting devour from 30 to 
70 per cent, of the seeds. 
Careful trapping by a mem¬ 
ber of the Biological Sur¬ 
vey over a half acre con¬ 
taining 2,000 seed spots, 
yielded him three chip¬ 
munks and eleven white¬ 
footed mice, which in three 
days had devoured 70 per 
cent, of the seed. One 
chipmunk was seen to visit 
thirty-eight seed spots in 
four minutes. Thus the 
work of these rodents ren¬ 
ders vain the efforts of the 
forester. 
Ned Dearborn, expert 
biologist of the Survey, has 
just printed a paper which 
deals with Seed Eating- 
Mammals in Relation to 
Reforestation. This is really 
on'y the beginning of an 
investigation of the sub¬ 
ject of country-wide importance. 
When the employees of the forest service 
learned that their seed was being eaten and 
carried away by these little mammals, efforts 
were made to protect the seed by coating it 
with red lead, copper sulphate and coal tar, 
which might be supposed to be distasteful to 
the animals. However, it appears that these 
rodents always remove the hulls of such seeds 
and thus get rid of the disagreeable coating be¬ 
fore they eat them. The most effective way to 
terminate these depredations is to destroy the 
rodents before the planting is done. This is 
accomplished by poisoning in the way described 
some months ago in Forst and Stream by Dr. 
Merriam in the case of the California gray 
squirrel. 
The grain used is wheat, and the other ma¬ 
terials are starch, saccharine, pulverized strychnia 
and wafer. A mixture is made of the starch, 
saccharine and strychnia in water which is 
heated to boiling, until the starch begins to 
thicken. Then the wheat is added and so thor¬ 
oughly stirred that every kernel receives a coat- 
BOBWHITE AND DOG IN A THICKET. 
Photograph by George \V. Field. 
