The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-28

To the Editor of the Indianapolis Journal:
This unfortunate and harmless bird is
again the subject of legislation Every
year or two his legal status is changed.
Only few years ago he was permitted TO
come to this city with his family and hang
by the neck from grocers' awnings in Oc-
tober. Then he appeared later. and finally
the lying about how many straight birds
(alf on the wing the city sportsman killed
the day before didn't really set in until
Nov 10. A quail may as well ffcve no legal
rights as to have them changed so often,
that he can never be sure
when he is killed whether it was lawfully
or unlawfully. From his early and never
falling appearance in the Legislature. one
would think him as difficult TO control as
the benevolent institutions or the fees and
salaries Of county officers Just now there
is pending bill making it unlawful to kill
him at all until 1900. But whether this is
an effort to take him out of politics or
merely to prevent him appearing in pot pie
is not quite plain. But that he is again In
the hands OF the Lawmakers is plain, ana
whether he has any choice between the So
clety of gunners and Legislators will not
be considered. Aside from violations or the
present law. there is very little to be desired
changing the chances of longevity. for the
quail The open season should h;r be fro 9i,,
grown and mature in the instinct of self
preservation by. Nov. l, and pot, shooting
will be practically prevented if the season
is closed as early as Dec. 10. The quail is
well equipped for escape from his enemies.
He is cunning, strong and rapid and II not
driven from his cover In cold and snowy
weather he is pretty sure to live through
the winter and be interested in next year
covey. OF course, he is the prey of the fox,
skunk, weasel and mink. and in localities
where these pests abound 1t is next to lm-
possible for him to increase his tribe The
greatest enemy. of the quail. however, is
the deep snow that lies a long time ON the
ground. His natural food, the seeds. are
covered with snow and he is enfeebled by
hunger and then frozen. During the winter
of 1892 and 1893 thousands of covieS were
thus annihilated. The number of persons
shooting quails has steadily increased year
after year, and yet quails became more and
matter of common remark that quails were
never more plentiful. The season just
closed was fairly good, and next year prom
slaughter by snow and cold in January, 1893
With fairly open winters the quail Will re-
main reasonably. plentiful in Indiana despite
the frequent changes made in his legal
rights and the assaults of sportsmen.
law preventing quail,killing SHOWS until 1900
would be as justifable as the one proposed.
From these he needs protection.
The old notion of the benefactor CITY of
course) that quails consume every year i'm
mense quantities of worms, bugs and crop
eating pests, and is of great value to the
farmer, is not now so prevalent. The fact
is that the quail is a seed-eater of the most
Seed, corn and wheat He doesn't follow the
pillow picking up the grub worms
and cut an worms a,cker like the rrese e1sin
visit to your wheat shock and corn pen.
The people everywhere. so far as the writer
knows, are opposed to the bill above referred
to- Give him protection from pot shooting
and hard winters and Bob-white will still
swell the hunters game-bag and grace his
toast as he was destined to do by his Gre
Richmond, Ind, Jan. &c.