Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-10
THOSE MoNGoL1AN eUA1Ls.
The Bay Sportsmen Kicking About Their
Distribution.
CARS sportsmen,s department Yesterday:

me lOllOWluR paragraph dppedIcu Ill luc
Calls sportsmens department yesterday:
Sportsmen resident in the counties adjoining
San Francisco are not pleased with the way in
which President Routier, OF the State Fish
Commission, disposed of the several crates of
Chinese quail recently received for distribu-
tion. Local sportsmen do not coincide with his
ideas as to the places where the game birds
shall be distributed. Five hundred birds have
already been liberated. Some are on the prison
grounds near Folsom some on the Rancho del
Paso, but the greater number found their way
to Mr.. Routier's own ranch on the American
river. There are yet 500 birds to be distributed,
and as there are several favorable localities
near this city where the birds will be well pro-
tected, it is hoped that the Sacramento sports
men will not be favored to the exclusion OF all
other sections.
The Call is not quite accurate in its state
ment concerning the distribution of the
birds referred to, and could hardly have
got its information from the RECORD UNION,
which stated just how the quails were dis
posed Of The crates originally contained
100 birds, but many died on the voyage.
One crate was liberated on the State Prison
grounds, near Folsom, where no hunting
is permitted, and where they will have
abundance of water and careful protection.
Another crate was sent to J. B. Haggin's
Rancho del Paso of 1900 acres, another
preserve where shooting is not permitted.
A third lot were distributed between the
farms of President Routier of the State
Fish Commission, DR.. Manlove and few
other residents along the American river,
where care will be taken to protect the
birds. These were all the birds that were
distributed in this part of the State. One
crate was sent to Fresno. one to another
county in the San Joaquin valley, and one
to n D. Rideout in Yuba county.
1t is not true that the localities where
the birds have been liberated in this Sec
ton are infested with vermin that will
prey upon them. These farms are all care
fully worked and quite free from polecats,
foxes. etc. And, as matter of fact, Presi-
dent Routier liberated on his place fewer
of the birds than were sent out TO other
localities. Moreover there was little or no
opportunity afforded to correspond with
parties in other parts of the State as to their
desire or inclination 10 receive and look
after the quails. The latter came quite
Unexpectedly, and had been landed for some
time before the President of the Board of
Fish Commissioners were apprised of their
arrival. Hence, he was obliged to act at
once, as the birds were dying in confne-
ment.
The Call expresses the opinion that, as
the Chinese quail is ground bird, its
natural enemies will soon kill off the sew
eral colonies that have been liberated. This
may prove to be the case, and if it does,
there will be no use in experimenting with
the bob-white of the Eastern States, which
is also ground bird.
This is just the point that it is desired to
have solved. The sportsmen of California
have been for years clamoring for the in
PRODUCTION of some kind of quail that can
be found without having to go to the chapar-
raj thickets of the foothills, but which will
content itself about the meadows and stub
bie-felds of the valleys. Such a bird must
necessarily be ground bird. We have
enough of the other kind now, for there
certainly is no lack of native quail. II
is to be hoped that the recently-imI cot ID
Mongolian quail will stick to the ground
cover, otherwise they would be no i'm
proyement on the native bird, which too
often destroy a days sport for the gunner
by hiding in the heavy foliage of iye-oak
trees.
Writers on the subject say that the Chi
nese quail is most pugnacions little fell
low, and in its native country is used by
the sports" (uot sporismen, fortunately,
for the same purpose that the correspond