The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-05
. TO PROPAGATE GAME BIRDS.
Proposition Now Being Considered
by the Fish Commission.
From the Raltimore American

rom tne Baltimore American.
Maryland sportsmen and hunters are
greatly interested in bill now on the-caI-
endar of the United States Senate to en-
large the cope of the United States fish
commissions work, so as to make IT in
clude the propagation of game birds. The
BILL which has already passed the lower
House of Congress, was introduced by
Representative Lacey of Iowa. It is ex-
pected that the experiment of propaga-
ton of the birds will be carried on ex-
tensively in Maryland if the bill becomes
law.
Inasmuch as the fish commission, since
1880, has raised the number of shad an
nually marketed from little over 5000. =
900 to nearly 20OOO,OO0 Mr. Lacey firmly
believes that an equivalent increase of
the game birds of the country could be OBJ
tanned by similar methods. He does not,
of course, mean that ii is practicable TO
put birds eggs by thousands into hatch
ing jars and turn out the young ones by
the wholesale, but much can be accom-
pllShed, he contends with certain species
by suitable processes.
By artificial breeding game birds NAV
be induced to lay a greatly Increased mum
Der of eggs, just as the female descend
ant of the primitive chicken has been
persuaded to produce at least six times
the number of potential offspring yielded
by her primitive ancestress of the forests
of India. Here-if this expectation should
be realized-is the opportunity for the
incubator. When human beings learned
to nourish their progeny with the milk of
other animals, their rate of propa ga ton
was multiplied, inasmuch as the mother
could go on with the business of child
bearing unimpeded by the necessity of
affording nourishment to offspring already
brought into the world. A similar benedt
where bird life is concerned, is afforded
by the incubator, which attends to the
Matching OF eggs already produced while
the maternal fowl continues 10 lay.
II the United States fish commission he
comes also bird commission. an imDor-
tant feature of its work will be 10 sbut
out from this country undesirable birds.
Inc English sparrow, now such nui-
sance, would never have been introduced
into the United States if government ex-
perts had possessed authority to exclude
il. Persons ignorant of its true character
brought it from Europe with the notion
that it would gobble insects, whereas it
is primarily a seed-eater, not to mention
its hostility to more desirable feathered
creatures. AS a result, it has become A
pest, and other well-meaning persons have
recently imported lot OF English star
lngs to destroy it. Unfortunately. this
startling is to all intents and purposes like
our own Objectionable crow blackbird, and
has the same habit of eating the eggs and
young of smaller birds of all sorts
1t is proposed that the government
should try to establish the common quail
on basis of semi at some
Matching station, with a covey of these
birds for a starter. They are specially
available for the purpose, because they
are so prolific as many as tWenty-six
eggs being sometimes found in a single
quaiIs nest. 1t is easy to imagine a future
quail hatchery thus established with
series of gas incubators in operation. The
newly Matched birds could be carried after
a continuous method through warm
room for drying their feathers, and thence
out in the open air, where they could be
fed and cared for until able to look out
for themselves. In this way they would
be protected from the enemies which de-
stroy most of the young birds, in the eggs
or out of them. The game birds are
threatened by a variety of danger in in
fancy-snakes. rats, and other predatory
animals attack them, capturing the eggs
and young, while other birds also devour
them.
AS a matter of course large percentage
of the artificiaily bred birds will be kept
for egg laying, and thus the stock will be
rapidly and indefinitely increased. Small
beginnings may make a big ending. The
fish commissioners began with a few shad
fry. They planted 3O00OO,000 in the rivers
in 1893.
One matter that will be called to the at
tention of the United States Piscicultural
and Avicultural Commission, as the gov
ernment bureau will probably be styled in
future. has relation to the domestication
of BIRDS that bear feathers valuable to the
milliners' trade. Hitherto this branch of
commerce has been obliged to rely on the
wild supply, which is very much as il vege-
tables were to be collected from accidental
patches in the forests. There is no reason
for such condition of affairs. Already the
ostrich is being bred in confinement for it's
plurnes, which are plucked at suitable in
tervals Why should not the same thing
be done II is commended, with birds of para
disc. and with other species useful to fash
ion? Indeed, the project Of importing birds
of paradise from New Guinea and other
isles in the neighborhood, with this pur-
-,nse In view has been definitely broa ched