Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1897-10-08

soon Become Extinct - Gun
Clubs Are to Blame
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-
erpetic as their efforts are, however, 1t
is to be feared they come too late to
save the prairie chickens (pinnated
Qrouse.) No measures, it is certain,
can ever make them as plentiful on our
prairies as they were a quarter OF
century ago. Even if their slaughter
were forbidden for q 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 q 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
pheasant was first brought from Asia.
but has been indigenous in England for
centuries. They are polygamus in
their habits, and as the brilliant plum
age of the male bird is 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.
!. 1t is impossible, however, when a
covey of cartridges 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 pugnacious
threatened 70 exterminate them. A
few years ago it was discovered that
the Hungarian cartridges 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 a 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 inn
ported. In England live Hungarian
cartridges bring about 81 to $1.25 a
brace (male and female), pheasants
$2.25 to $3.50; partridges' eggs, So to $40
q hundred, and pheasants' about 81, q
pretty high price considering that only
about so per cent. Of these eggs are fer
tile. They are usually Matched by ban
tams, or common barnyard fowls,
Roth fril onA y,1a,.o~A. 900
prolific egg producers, their nests con-
tanning from 10 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, If not too closely confined, lay
large numbers of eggs, 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 a consignment, their
preserves would soon be stocked with
this very desirable game bird. They
never fly high, SO that the expense Of
inclosing n few acres of land suitahle
for them to breed on would be trifinp.
Another bird which has attracted
the attention of game preserveqs in Ire
land and Scotland, who control large
areas OF waste land, Is the guinea fowl
(gallina numidica). They are occa-
sionally met with in this country in a
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 is really bet
ter eating than any other of the domes-
ticated fowls. In consequence hunt
ing clubs could obtain large numbers
at nominal price. II these were
turned out ON some wide expanse they
would become as wild as hawks in the
second generation, and would increase
very rapidly, as they surpass all other
game birds in the number of eggs they
lay, and the cunning with which they
conceal their nests. Chicago Inter