PEELE AUDUBON BULLE TUN 27 
do not mention even one Bob-white in their lists. Now it may be only 
a meaningless coincidence, but every Ohio Christmas census since 1914 
mentions Bob-whites. It would seem that the birds are more numerous 
since they are not hunted. It is also likely that they are less shy and 
census takers find them in the open, when formerly hunting dogs were 
necessary to get them out. In every part of the state where conditions 
are at all suited to Bob-white’s welfare, observing people declare that 
their numbers yearly increase.” 
A Christmas Census Report from the State of Ohio for the year 
1915, taken by fourteen observers shows but 14 birds enumerated and 
those were all counted by one observer, making an average of one bird 
per observer. The 1922 census from the same state and over widely 
separated parts by seventeen observers yielded 850 birds or 50 birds 
to the observer. It is but fair to note that only twelve of the seventeen 
observers reported quail. 
Please take note that the above report was made by Mr. Swope in all 
fairness, omitting nothing that might be construed to cloud the issue. 
Since the sportsmen’s methods had been used prior to 1g1§ in Ohio, 
precipitating drastic quail protection there, then it follows that their 
logic is faulty somewhere along the line. If no more than the natural 
increase had been taken, protective measures would not have been neces- 
sitated. 
This manifestly is not the case. The inroads made by civilization 
make life for many wild species precarious. Shooting in no wise in- 
creases vanishing flocks. The restoration and strict protection under 
natural conditions, however, will accomplish just such results as shown 
in Ohio. 
The case of Bob-white, however, differs materially from that of 
all other game birds. Its field of labor places the bird at the head in a 
list of beneficial birds. Its diet consists of untold quantities of weed 
seeds and tons of injurious insects. It is aptly termed the farmer’s best 
friend. Alive and active, its value to agriculture 1s many times 1n excess 
of its gastronomic value “‘en casserole.”’ 
Under natural conditions Bob-white found ample food and ample 
cover. Natural enemies checked its undue spread. Cover protected 
it from its enemies. Today’s food supply is still ample or even greater. 
The fields are ravished by unchecked hordes of insects. Its enemies 
have greatly decreased, but the decrease has not been proportional with 
the greater decrease of natural protective cover. Then comes the 
hunter, who in a measure, makes up the decrease in natural enemies. 
Thus poor Bob-white is now exposed on three sides. 
-~ Common sense dictates a policy of strictest protective conservation 
in the case of Bob-white, particularly so in its game-bird status. Sports- 
men the country over have everything to gain in supporting the efforts 
of bird lovers, who are not interested in the species from a standpoint 
