The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-20
PHEAsANTs IN NEW YORK.
Biq Brood Liberated for Second Time
 in Twelve Years at Geneseo.

Geneseo Letter in New York Tribune.
 For the second time in a decade Maj. W. A Wadsworth of this village has lib- erated big brood of pheasants, with view of restorel1ing the fertile fields ofthe Genesee valley with the game which once teemed in it's hills and woods The first stock numbered 150O birds, and they were let go to the wild in 1891. The second freeing, that of June 2 to July 1, this year, sent 3,500 sturdy young birds into the open, Besides these pheasants, Maj. Wadsworth, aided by George Blenstein, of Buffalo and the Fall Brook Sports man club has freed several hundred quail. These birds are protected by law until 1905, and 1t is expected that by that time their numbers will have increased enormously.
 The Genesee valley was originally well filled naturally with game birds, such as cartridges, woodcocl, snipe and quail. In 1888 the sportsmen began to see that the unrestrained banging of green hunt CTS from the city and villages had prac- tically shot out all of the game birds from Portage to the rapids at Rochester. Maj. Wadsworth, whose devotion to sports of all kinds has been recognized as one of the most noticeable character istics. decided that the only way to save the valley from total denudation was to restock it. He consequently employed a skilled English gamekeeper, and under his advice imported a large number of quail from Kansas and Mongolian pheas- ants from Oregon. These birds were set to breeding and year later he set free his first batch of pheasants. These birds soon accommodated themselves to their surroundings, and penetrated all through western New York, to the surprise of many farmer who was puzzled to decide what kind of bird 1t was when he saw 1t in the pasture lot. The wideness with which the birds have ranged is seen by the fact that only the other day flock of pheasants was discovered in the fields north of Webster, in the upper part of Monroe county, nearly fifty miles dis tant.
 In 1898, George Bleinstein liberated about 800 quail on the east and west banks of the Genesee. They were Kansas and Nebraska birds, and according to all reports have thrived well. Several of the winters have been excessively severe, however. and the birds had a hard time of if. Their state was somewhat miti- gated, however, by the thoughtfulness of the members of the Fall Brook club, who scattered many bushels of corn where the DlrdS cOuld get at IL, The little 1ellOWS hocked around these feeding places by the hundreds, and became tame and ap- proachable, and few of them died. It is probable that each year young birds will be liberated in various numbers, and in another five years the valley, it is hoped, will once more be stocked.
 The breeding pens of the pheasants are
 kept filled with old birds the proportion being forty hens to sixteen cocks. divided up into sixteen pens Each hen can be depended upon to lay about forty eggs a year. These eggs are matched under or dinary hens. the pheasant hen refusing to set in captivity. If possible. bantam hens are used, as they do not injure the young birds by clumsiness. The young pheasants are hardy youngsters and can care for themselves in four or five weeks after matching. They are fed on ordinary chicken provender. Maj Wadsworths birds at present are half English and half Oregon in numbers. The latter birds are larger and sleeker- than their English cousins