The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-02-11
NEW PHEASANT IN AMERICA.
Succeeds in Propagating Fine MongoliaD
Game Efrd.

way to be dispelled in the next few
months. The Massachusetts fish an(
| game commissioners started in breed
ing the birds for the state less than
year ago, and have bred them success
| fully. 1t remains TO be seen whether
| the pheasantS can endure the New Eng
! land winter, but there never was mucf
fear on that score, and so far the pheas
ants are ell right
It viii be recalled that the Chimes,
or MOngOlian pheasant was protected
for five years by a statute of 1894, anC
the game commissioners set to worl
to stock the state. The Mongolian was
selected for the purpose on account
Of its extreme hardness and tooth.
some qualities, as well as for q wild
wariness that made it a most desirable
gone bird. The only light Of expert
exec on the matter came from Oregon,
where "a pheasaEts were turned loose
less than ten years ago, and now the
state is overrun with them. 1t has
been found out there that the pheasant
is a destroyer of the insect world, rather
than Of grain, and the farmers take to
him kindly.
Chairman BrucIoett, of the Massachu-
sets commission, secured u pheasants
last spring from Oregon, which, added
10 few he had left over from a con-
signment the previous year, made up
the ancestors of the coming pheasant
population. What knowledge was at
hand about pheasants had TO do With
the' English variety, and the years
work has been an experiment in every
way, as 1t was found that the Mon
golians required different treatment
altogether. New ideas had to be de-
veloped, and the net result appears to
be method calculated to produce Mon
Golan pheaSants ad hbitum. Nearly
150 birds were bred, of whom so were
distributed, so are in the aviary at
Winchester, and the other so escaped
or were caught by cats.
This last element is not only dis
t,lrbing factor, but an annoying feature
as well all through the year. It cannot
be said that ths cats were an unfore-
seen danger. Mr.. Bracket had a cor.
don of traps set around the aviary, and
they worked" beautifully. Feline
wanderers make fine fertilizer, as the
appearance of some fruit trees in the
yard will attest, and by wonderful ex-
ample of retributive justice their bod
les were fed to the chickens in an in
direct way, as will be shown later on.
With all the precautions taken, how
ever, pussy managed to get few birds
The instinct OF the birds is to lie close
when danger threatens, and with dog
they have somewhat better chances OF
escaping in that way. Cats can creep
up, however, and land on them with
spring. The birds learn fast, and of the
escaped pheasants that have been OBJ
served, their rule seems TO be to keep
out Of reach at all times. Unlike the
grouse, the pheasant flies consider
able distance when. flushed, and in
hunting them the best plan, when a
shot fails, is to hunt up another bird.
Raising pheasants is much like rails. |
ing bantams, with few novel eXcep- !
tons. In fact, bantam hens are used |
for Matching. The pheasants must have |
food during the first three OIL
four weeks of life. and maggots are the
correct thing. A way to get maggots |
enough is to put some bran mixed With /
meat in the bottom OF q
barrel, hang some pieces of liver OF !
dead cats il the top of the barrel. and
then let ii alone for week: flies do the
rest. They lay their eggs on the liver
when 1t Is ripe enough, the progeny
drops into the bran below. where in
few days they may be scooped up by the
quart and fed to the chickens. The
don t make bad looking dish,
even if, like Mrs. Tanqueray, they have
IN unsavoTy past. II is proper 10 say
hat the 1puggot nursery should be al
respectful distance from the house, |
md TO the enemy's windward. The
'oung pheasants sail into them with a
-usto that stands On no ceremony. and
hey wax and grow fat. Mr.. Bracelets
apparatus Is more elaborate, OF course.
lie has little shed, with a system OF
'uns and drawers and other things, SO
hat maggots can be produced suited TO
ii tastes. One would think there are
hes enough in the world already, but
he commissioners found the breed
would die out unless some of the mar
'ots were allowed 10 mature. Putting
hem on ice arrests development. and
~ adjusting things between I be nursery
nd the icehouse there was q SQUARE
neal Tor the pheasant chicks every Gav.
Grain and green stuff. like Lettuce
nd cabbage, Is fed TO them beside the
laSgOts at the end Of 4 month. when
he critical time Of the youngsters life
5 past. At four months Of age il was
ound the PheaSants would Nv out OF
nYthing that didn't have Il roof. and
hat Is how some escaped. There was
o such thing as catching them. and
L those which got away. one shows
p now and then along the roadsides
nd IN the woods, usually at a respect
III distance. After the snowstorm last ,
lonth several made their appearance
I The eviary. looking for 4 meal. They 1
OF ltaIi right. but could not be tempted
o come within reach. 1t is not ex- {
ecied that the first crop of birds will I
Owe all the problems of living in their {
rSt year OF freedom. but their broods. 6
rought up n the wilds Of nature, will :
now where 10 get living.
tame aSsociationsand public-spirited
'uzens IN various parts OF the state
ave been supplied with pheasants from
he 1895 broods. and many of these per !
ons will breed them with a. much :
are as does the commissioner. turnino !