10 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
2. Similarly, the bobwhite or quail has been brought to the verge of 
extinction, or practically wiped out, over large parts of northern Illinois. 
The writer recently spent several days in Ohio, in fact, crossing it from 
west to east and back. He was charmed and delighted by seeing and hear- 
ing quail everywhere. The reason is that the legislature of the state, some 
years ago, despite the furious opposition of the sportsmen and other inter- 
ested sources, placed this chubby little angel of our country-side on the 
song-bird list, thus automatically outlawing its shooting. Why should a 
small percentage of the population impose its will, for selfish motives, on the 
vast majority, and deprive the 90 to 95 per cent who do not hunt of the 
pleasure of hearing the cheerful call and seeing the intriguingly rotund 
form, a symphony in browns, of this most lovable bird? And then there is 
the economic side of it. Numerous stomach analyses show that it is one 
of the most valuable allies of the farmer in his perennial fight against 
insect and weed pests, that continually threaten our food supply. Should 
the farmer get no consideration? Dr. Judd estimated upon careful compu- 
tation that the bobwhites of the two states of Virginia and North Carolina 
alone consume annually 1,341 tons of weed seeds, and 340 tons of insects. 
Among the insect part of their diet are included all the most destructive 
of our insect pests, such as the chinch bug, cotton worm, cotton boll-weevil, 
army worm, potato beetle, cucumber beetle, bean leaf beetle, and many 
others. Up to a hundred potato beetles have been found in the stomach of 
one quail. As an insect and weed seed destroyer it is worth its weight in 
gold to the farmer, and therefore to everybody. What a short-sighted 
policy to allow this valuable ally and cheerful companion to be so ruth- 
lessly slaughtered for the pleasure of a relatively small part of the popu- 
lation? At least in the northern part of the state the bobwhite should be 
put on the protected list, and preferably over the whole state. 
3. Also the mourning dove is disappearing in northern Illinois to an 
alarming degree. And how the crooning call of this gentle bird adds to 
the enjoyment of a perfect summer day! There we allow a piece of 
barbaric legislation to remain on the statute books to the disgrace of the 
state. In most states the dove is on the protected list, as it should be. We 
have an open season on it, beginning on September 1. As the dove breeds 
throughout the summer there are at this time numerous nests of it in which 
there are yet unfledged young, who have to perish when the parents are 
shot. If we are barbaric enough that we must shoot this lovely and lovable 
bird, we should at least fix the beginning of the open season a month later. 
Who will buttonhole a legislator in his vicinity and persuade him to take 
up the cudgels in such a worthy and humane cause? What legislator will 
come forward and sponsor any or all of these worthy objectives? 
