Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-30
GOOD NEWS TO spoRrsmEN.
Two Hundred Dozen Eastern Ouails Soon
to Arrive,

Two Hundred Dozen Eastern Ouails Soon
to Arrive.
1t was stated some weeks ago that the
Fish and Game Commissioners had been
unable to secure sufficient number of the
Eastern, or bob white" quails, for propa-
cation purposes this season. Such was the
case at that time, but the attention of Sec
retary O'Reilly having been called the
other day to the advertisement of person
in Chicago who offered to supply any de-
sired number of birds, the matter was laid
before President Routier. The Chicago
man was communicated with by telegraph,
| with the result that contract has been
closed with him for 200 dozen quails, to be
! shipped by express in few days to Sacra-
mento.
The birds will cost the Commission So
| per dozen in Chicago and will be delivered
| to Wells Fargo & Co. there in suite ls
crates for transportation. The exr -ss
company will use all possible care in b,ug-
/ ing the birds scross the continent, and the
| loss will probably be very snail. The Sis-
/ tribution Will be made here in Sacralnt,gto
on the arrival of the assisted" fea;nered
! immigrants.
/ There will no doubt be wide spread de-
sire among sporismen and Others in differ
| ent localities to secure some of the birds,
and the Commissioners may safely be
trusted to display their usual good iudg-
ment in the matter of disposing of the little
creatures. There is but one danger, and
that is the sending of too small colonies TO
widely separated localities. A dozen or
| two birds put out here and there would
probably not be heard of after the first sea-
/ o,,ll .y~ I,, IL. "a e
| hills thickly covered With chaparral. They
should be turned loose in large numbers,
even though less than halfdozen sections
; De favored. so far as the first consignment
i of birds is concerned
| TIE supposition is that the Eastern
quails would, if protected, make their
homes about the farms in the valleys, and
; Ii should be the aim Of the Commissioners
to give them such opportunity. as far as
practicable. One good lot in Santa
Clara valley, another in San Joaquin
! valley, and few lots in the Sacramento
/ valley, would probably suffice for the first
shipment. These birds will breed this
spring, and will be very apt TO make II cir
homes in the vicihiiy OF the places where
they may be turned loose if there be
cover suitable for them. There should be
one colony set free among the gardens and
cemeteries just east of this city, where
they could be watched and protected from
poachers, and the preserved grounds sur
rounding the State prisons ard other pub
lie institutions would be good places for
some.
Small lots of these birds-say dozen
or so at a time--have been put out in
this State in past years, but none we're
found after q few years. Each covey was
probably 'ground-slnced' at one shot by
pot. hunting vandsls. but with larger colo
MES many of the birds would be sure to
survive and multiply. The experiment
being too expensive for private individuals
to make, the Eastern birds have never been
given a fair show here, but it now looks as
if the State Game Commissioners will be
able to k,tbe valleys with this desirable
species of game.