Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-04-04
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Prof. Mally," towhiclf 1 desire to
reply as far as relates to the ques
lions OF fact.
The particular statement which
seems to have aroused Mr.. Robin
son il one which has been credited
TO me by the Paris, Texas, News
and is as follows: "He was asked
il quails were destructive 10 insects
and answered in the affirmative.
They are more destructive than
any other of the feathered tribe, y
So far as the Texas fauna in which
the farmer is concerned. this state.
ment is substantially correct
though the exact statement which
| made was that the quail is one
of the farmers best friends aud as
destructive Of insect life as any OF
the feathered tribe we have on our
Texas farms. II should be remem-
bered that even during the season
when the quail feeds but little, II
any, upon insects, its food habits
are confined mostly to injurious
weed seeds and are the farmers
friend from that standpoint AZ that
time of the year. Mr. Robinson
seems 10 be averse TO accepting my
statements rs authoritative. Hence
owing to the fact that my efforts
are always made in the interest of
science or industrial education, /
have gotten together few state
ments from the best authorities IN
America in order that my critic
may be free to recede from his nosi-
ton without the item Of a personal
prejudice.
In O. letter to me dated March
| 10. 1902, DR.. S. 4. Forbes, dlrec-
tor of the Illinois State Laboratory
of Natural History, writes as fol-
| lows in reference 10 the quail. Its
! insectivorous character is, however,
well established, and | have found
its crop crammed full of chinch
bugs - The farmers of the grain
belt who have had experience with
this chinch bug pest Of their grain
crops will well appreciate the help
I the friendly quail may be to them
during the breeding and nesting
period. On the same date ! have
| a letter from DR.. G. Hart Merriam
chief of the biological survey of the
| United States department OF agri-
culture, in which he writes az fol,
lows: "In reply to your letter OF
18th of March, ! would state that
the quail (Colinus virgianus and
subspecies) is both gramlnivorous
and insectivorous. The few stom-
achs and crops that have been ex'
amined by sportsmen have been
taken during the hunting season
when the bulk OF the food consists
Of vegetable matter; this has PROB
ably given foundation for the be
| lief that insects are never eaten.
! During the breeding season and
throughout the summer however
enormous quantities Of insecto are
destroyed; they include such pes Is
as the red legged locust, Rocky
mountain locust, various cutworms
army worm, chinch bugs, May bee
ties twelve spotted cucumber bee
| tie and the cotton boil weeUil. Tn
bird, during the colder half of tn
wear, feeds largely upon the seed
of weeds. II is one Of the mos
useful species, and should receiy
more stringent protection. Thi
might be very well begun by short
ening the hunting season" II
addition the March 10Th issue q
the Farm and Ranch quotes edit
ORALLY on page s from Prof. SyI
vester d. Judd, also Of the Unite
States biological survey, as follows
Quail and prairie chickens destro
such dreaded pests as cut worms
army worms, twelve spotted Gu
4 cumber beetles, chinch bugs an
and Rocky mountain locusts, or
/ gallinaceous birds, such as grous
1 quail, pheasants, etc. are not e'
+; clusively vegetarian as is pop'
B larly believed, but are mixed fec
= ers and probably nourish the
newly Matched chicks principal
on insects"
Biological researches long ago e
tablished the fact that the food
on birds varies much with season al
environments. During the bree
4, ing season and the period OF res
ing their young the quail, as W.
as many other kinds of birds, fe
- extensively upon insects. Lat
on there are periods during viii
Nh il would be rare or unexpected
u find insects in tneir crops.
these facts are verified and testiii
es; to bv the eminent authorities abo
.wr II . aaatlaRf "A