The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-04-11
CANE BIRDS GOING.
Guam ana Prairie Chickens Are
Growing Very Scarce.
If sone steps to yseplsnisA the Stock In
This Country Are Not Tsken They wan
eoon Bepome ExtiAct = Gan
Clubs Are to BlaMA

Western lovers of that beautiful
sport, hunting wild game birds, must
be well satisfied with the vigilance OF
the Illinois game warden. Mr.. Blow,
aided by those gentlemen who hold SIM
liar positions in adjacent states. En-
ergetic as their efforts are, however, 1T
is to be feared they come too late to
save the prairie chickens (pinnated
grouse.) No measures, it is certain,
can ever make them as plentiful on our
prairies rs they were quarter OF
century ago. Even If their slaughter
were forbidden for = term of years, the
utmost vigilance on the part OF
Mr.. Blow and his assistants
could not prevent the annual
destruction of large numbers.
Quail are becoming equally scarce, and
unless the different hunting clubs take
some steps to replenish the stock, game
of the grouse family will soon become
extremely rare.
England has always been great
game preserving country, but even
there, where the game laws are very
stringent, it has been found necessary
to import large numbers OF birds from
foreign countries.
The dark-necked pheasant (phas-
Janus colchicus) has long reigned as
the king of English game birds. This
,,hcasant was first brought from Asia,
out has been indigenous in England for
centuries. They are polygamus in
their habits, and as the brilliant plum
age of the male birds in contrast to the
somber brown of the hen, good sports
men can easily distinguish them apart
| They invariably let the females pass un-
scathed, so that the supply is fairly well
| maintained.
Tt is impossible, however, when
covey of partridges gets up, to distin-
guish the different sexes, so that both
/ male and female have to fall alike to the
unerring aim of the English country
gentleman. Consequently they would
| become very scarce could not eggs and
| birds be obtained from abroad. The
first imported were the French, or red
legged variety (caccabis urfa), but they
proved very unsatisfactory, as when
disturbed they prepared to run rather
than fly. In addition, they did not in
terbreed with the native variety. but
being larger and more pugnacions
threatened TO exterminate them. A
few years ago it was discovered that
the Hungarian partridges not only very
nearly resembled the English species,
but would interbreed, and dwell in har-
mony with it. This discovery has led
to the importation of myriads of these
birds; indeed, the business has grown
| to such proportions that over dozen
| firms are engaged in it, and last season
over 100000 brace were shipped from
Fuime on the Adriatic, the only port for
the large extent of country over which
| these birds are trapped.
Most of them are taken on the broad
plains and low foothills of the Carpa-
thians, and in the valleys Of the Bohem-
ian Alps. In the dense woods that
clothe the lower spurs of the latter,
pheasants are also very plentiful and
large numbers are trapped and i'm
ported. In England live Hungarian
partridges bring about 81 to $1.25
brace (male and female), pheasants
s2.a5 to $3.50; partridges' eggs, IS to $40
a hundred, and pheasants' about 81, a
pretty high price considering that only
about 80 per cent. OF these eggs are fer
tile. They are usually Matched by ban
tams, or common barnyard fowls.
Both partridges and pheasants are
prolific egg producers, their nests con-
tanning from 13 to II eggs, olive-brown
in color, much rounded at one end, but
pointed at the other. Their nests, how
ever, are always on the ground, and the
owners make but slight attempts to
conceal them, so that the contents fall
an easy prey to their many enemies.
The English variety lay measurably
well in confinement, but their eggs are
frequently infertile. This, however, is
not the case with the Hungarian birds,
who, il not too closely confined. lay
large numbers of eggs, a surprising per-
centage OF which will hatch out. The
young birds are much harder and
easier to raise than those of the English
variety.
Their hardness would enable them to
withstand the rigors of this climate.
So II some OF our gun clubs, who have
large territories at their command,
were to obtain q consignment. their
preserves would soon be stocked with
this very desirable game bird. They
never fly high, so that the expense OF
inclosing few acres of land suitable
for them to breed on would be .trifling.
Another bird which has attracted
the attention of game preservers in ire
land and Scotland, who control large
areas of waste land. i the guinea fowl
(gallina numidica). They are occa-
sionally met with in this country in
domesticated state, but those who have
shot them in the African jungles will
readily acknowledge that few game
birds surpass them, either in the ex-
cellence Of the sport they furnish or
their edible qualities. This bird has
been strangely neglected BY epicures
in this country, though he il really bet
ter eating than any other OF the domes-
ticated fowls. IN consequence hpnt~
! ing clubs could obtain large numbers
!. at q nominal price II thAsA were
turned ont On some wide expanse they
would become Is Wild - hawks i11tAe
seoond gHneration. and would incto4se
| very 1aPidly, - they snrpass nj othar
Igalpe birds ~ the nppheF of eeesthey
ilhy, eqd ~ eppnirg With which they
couceeI their nesee - chteago InAer
ii<)c9G1 ~ &. 81 ssssT sss
s, upssiaslA ~
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