6 THE WEST VIRGINIA 
Lal 
they should be killed all the year round. This opinion, which 
may prevail among many casual observers, is likely to hasten 
the extermination of this noble game-bird, and there is little 
doubt that it has caused the scarcity of the species in some lo- 
calities. The law in regard to this game-bird (as well as others) 
should be more stringent. Quail are beneficial birds, and are . 
seldom injurious to the farmer or fruit-grower. I was informed 
that Quail were abundant throughout the Ohio Valley a few 
years ago, but at the present time they cannot be classed as 
more than a common resident. In the counties bordering the 
Alleghanies they are still plentiful. They are generally known 
as Virginia Partridge or Quail. Stomachs of specimens se- 
cured contained blackberries, seeds of smartweed, everlasting 
pea, partridge pea, Solomon’s seal, hemlock, summer grape, 
dogwood, wheat, traces of beetles and Lymenoptera. 
48. RUPEED GROUSE: 
Bonasa umbellus (Linn.). 
Resident and common throughout all sections visited. It is 
generally called Pheasant. Its food consists of various seeds 
and fruits, of which the following may be mentioned: River 
birch (Letula nigra), beech (agus ferruginea), dewberry , 
(Rebus canadensis), black raspberry (ubus occidentalis), red 
raspberry (2. strigosus), blue tangle-berry ( Gaylussacia fron- 
dosa), common black huckleberry (G. resenxosa), deerberry 
( Vaccinium stamineum), blueberry ( V. pennsylvanicum,) and 
great numbers of insects. During the season when grasshop- 
pers and crickets are abundant, the Grouse flock to the open- 
ings and feed greedily upon them. r 
49. WIELD TURKEY, 
Meleagris gallopavo Linn. 
Resident ; tolerably common, Turkeys are plentiful in parts 
of Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Randolph, Tucker, Grant, Hardy, 
and Hampshire Counties, and frequent the highest points of 
the Alleghanies. They feed upon corn, acorns, wheat, buck- 
wheat, oats, the fruit of river birch (Betula nigra), chestnut 
( Castanea vesca americana), beech ( Fagus ferruginea), red 
