Order Gallinæ
Bob-White — Family Odontophoridæ
289. Colinus virginianus. 10 inches.
This is one of the most celebrated of the “Game Birds,” or best known. Throughout New England it has been so persistently hunted that it is getting to be a rare bird; it gets to be more common as we go south as far as Florida, and through the middle west. It has been introduced in many places on the Pacific coast, and now is fairly abundant in parts of California, Oregon and Washington. They feed largely upon insects and grain, and about the grain fields is where they are mostly found.
Nest.—These are built along the roadsides or beside stone walls or any dry locality affording good shelter. It is concealed in the tall grass or weeds, and arched over with grass. They lay from ten to twenty pure white eggs. Often two broods are reared in a season (1.20 ×.95).