The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-07-17
NEW GAME BIRD.

Massachusetts, through it's Com
missioners of Inland Fisheries and
Game, is endeavoring to stock its
country districts with the Mongolian
pheasant. The first considerable ex-
pertinent in this line was made last
year with results that would indicate
ultimate success.
The Monogolian pheasant is believed
to possess many advantages over the
English pheasant, being handsomer
and harder. and more of a true game
bird, while it is more prolific and better
adapted to cold climate. These
pheasants are nound in large numbers
in Siberia, which would indicate their
ability to survive through long winter
with deep SHOWS.
They were first intoduced into this
country by Judge Denny, of
Oregon.
There they have have grown pre-
digiously in numbers.
The Monogolian pheasant has been
found so valuable to the farmers of
Oregon, where it has lived exclusive
ly on grubs and worms, destroying
many dangerous pests, that the Legis-
lature of the State has passed law
prohibiting the expectation of the
birds. This has since been amended
so as to permit the expectation of a
few specimens to the other States
wishing to use them for breeding pur-
poses.
"There are many kinds of pheasants
but only two of them are desirable as
game birGls-the English and Mongo-
lian,' says Commissioner Brackett,
in his report to the Massachusetts
Legislature 1.-The English, as it is
called, is evidently a made-up bird and
does not breed to form and feather.
The ring on the neck is sometimes
wanting. In form it more closely
resembles the Mongolian than any
other vriety. In disposition it is
comparatively logy and tamable, and
when artifcially bred may be taught
to eat food from the hand of the breeder.
The hunting of these birds in England
shows that they fall an easy prey to
the sportsman, if such name can lie
applied to the wholesale of these birds
bv unskilled marksmen.
''The Mongolian is a more active,
nervous and untamable bird. d.more wary
and constantly on the alert. His
wealth of plumage and stately bearing
distinguish him from other pheasants.
Coming as he does, from Northern
China and Southern Siberia, where
winters are severe, he is in every way
better adapted to our New England
climate than is the English.
''Another important point is that
they are more prolific. The English,
in confinement, hays from twenty to
thirty eggs during season, and the
Mongolian from sixty to eighty. In
Oregon they have tow and sometimes
three broods year.
.Few things about homestead can
be more interesting than well stock
ed aviary v of these birds, while the
farm is rendered doubtly attractive by
their beautiful plumage flashing in the
sunlight as they sweep over the fields
and through the forests"
1t has been found in Massachusetts
that the Mongolian pheasant are most
persistent in their search for all !.inds
of insects and their larvae. The gypsy
moth has been devastating whole
districts and has already cost the State
hundreds of thousands of dollars. This
pest, it is hoped, will be put and end
to by the Mongolian pheasant.
Near where the pheasant have been
bred. ut Winchester. Mass, the gypsy
moth has been especially plentiful
among the trees. Some trees which
have been burlapped as Il prevention
of the gypsy moth were in the enclo-
surer where the pheasants were kept.
The harlaps were turned once or twice
n week, but only two of the larvae of
the Gypsy moth were found. The
Young pheasants were often seen chas-
ing each other, one having cater
piler or an Insect in its bill. In two
instances thiswas found to be the larvae
of the gypsy moth.
So thoroughly did the pheasants