Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1902-10-16

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Aflamtic Educational Jomrnal the fol-
lowing sketch q the partridge or
quail (colinus virginianus,) some
times called the Bob White"
Says DIR. Pearson:
This bird probably brings more
wealth into the Southern States than
does any other one species OF the
feathered tribe. They are such uni
versal favorites among sportsmen
that thousands Of men journey 70 che
South each winter TO shoot them.
In travel. in the building OF club
houses, in the employment of num-
bersoftrainers and guides. hundreds
of thousands Ct dollars are annually
put into circulation. Besides this,
the hunters usually pay the land
owners for the privilege Of cunning
on their premises. IL is universal
custom over large areas Of the South
for the sportsmen regularly to pay
the taxes on the land for the sole
purpose Of shooting on it. In Gull
ford County, North Carolina, over
q, 600 was paid in taxes the past
year by parties who hold contracts
OF this character. More than twice
this sum was paid by the sportsmen
70 trainers, wardens and cooks
Whatever may be said against
this system by lovers of birds, there
are some thing which can be of
surety be said in It's favor. The
sportsmen who pay for theprivilege
Of hunting, employ wardens 70 keep
away the Heterogeneous throng of
local gunners, many of whom are
pot hunters. and some even who
spend their slime. in shooting for
fun" every mockingbird, sparrow,
thrush, or woodpecker which may
happen to appear. Sportsmen hunt
only during small period Of the
year, and their killing, as rule,
does not cause any extensive losses
to the birds. In winter, when Sc
we're weather renders difficult the
task which the birds have of obtain
ing their food, il is the custom of
the sportsmen to have the snow
scraped away at different places
about the fields and bushels of peas,
wheat and cracked corn put out for
them. The cartridges soon learn
these places, and come here regular
ly for the food so kindly spread for
them. Nor are they the only birds
which profit by this generosity.
Many other grain and seed eating
birds enjoy these opportunities and
gather at these wonderful spots of
plenty. Quantities Of the little
feathered people are thus tided over
periods of temporary famine. 1t
is matter OF common observation
that in sections where this taxpay-
ing system has been put into prac-
tice the number Of cartridges is on
the increase.
The partridge makes her nest on
the ground beneath some bush or
grass cluster, and there deposits
her handful OF pure white eggs, the
beauty of which is soon married by
the stains from the dead grass blades
on which they rest. The number
of eggs laid in a nest varies from
twelve to twenty. The young are
able to run almost as soon as hatch
ed, One OF the most interesting ex-
periences Of our fields in summer
Is to discover family of bob whites,
the young OF which are as yet un-
able to fiy. The parents at once
fain lameness. and, with cries of
distress, fluttsr along the earth be-
fore the intruder, adroitly seeking
to draw him from the vicinity. In
many regions two broods of young
are reared in q season. These fam
lilies usually unite after the second
brood appears. Sometimes two pairs
of cartridges viii combine their
families, and all feed for q time to-
gether. / have seen as many as
sixty OF these birds together in the
woods, and have observed three
sizes of young accompanied by old
birds.
The food of the partridge in sum-
mer consists of many kinds of grass
hoppers, moths, bugs and other in
sects, together with any grain which
may be picked up about the fields.
In winter the birds frequent the
swamps and creek bottoms TO gather
berries from the bushes, and ven
ture into the fields on excursions
for weed seeds and such grains of
wheat and corn as may have been
left on the ground at harvest.
The partridge is cheerful bird.
His clear, ringing whistle in spring
time, which he produces in calling
to his mate, is one of the most char
acteris.ic notes OF our meadow land,
the autumn and winter seldom whis-
ties, except when giving the scat