
8. Quail 
Taxonomy. Ridgeway (1895) says that small dark-colored quail prevail in 
southern Illinois... These have large bills end arboreal habits, including 
the habit of whistling from the tops of tall trees. Nelson referred these 
to the Florida subspecies, but Ridgeway considers them intermediate. 
The .original forms of Illinois quail have probably by now been 
obliterated by: the wholesale importation of Mexican stock. Few 
diluted their native blood so persistently,or with less occasion, than 
Illinois. 
California Valley quail were planted about 1910,3 miles east of 
Richmond in McHenry County and persisted until about 1920 (Eldredge).One 
of the western quails (probably Valley} is known to have persisted several 
120 
years near Velie, Lovwa,opposite Natiivoo,Ill., about 1895, 
History. Because of the greater area and wider dispersion of prairie, 
quail were undoubtedly originally more common in Illinois than in Ohio.As 
noted in the Ohio report,they were hardly found in that state until large- 
scale clearings provided suitable range. 
the introduction 
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fu 
As in Iowa,a tremendous increase probably fill 
of clearing,and grain farming in the timber type,and the introduction of 
hedge cover and grain feed in the prairie type. Woodruff (1907) remarks: 
"Of late years the range has been gradually extended westward along the 
Lines of railroads." He probably means westward over the plains states, 
and implies that the quail Tollowed the graim farms which followed the 
The increase of-quail during the initial period of crude agriculture 
was followed by a‘decrease; the date of which varies with the date of 
cultural intensification and the extent. to which this was accompanied by 
-~10= 

