The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-09-06
CHINESE PHEASANTS.
Demand For Great Game Bird
Increasing in This Country.

man 10 XIII IN DAY mas Deen Suc-
cessiyely placed at twenty, then fiji
teen, and finally ten birds
The beginning Of the open season
each year is quite an event in Linn
County, for the birds are more plen-
tiful there than in any other place
in the country. Hunters came from
all parts of the Northwest to hunt
there, and the night before the sea-
son opens hundreds of wagons start
out from Albany and other towns
of the county bound for the hunting
fields and loaded with hunters, dogs
and ammunition. The majority of
the hunters spend the night at the
scene Of their proposed hunting ready
to begin firing at daybreak. On the
opening day there is veritable can
nonading in the fields. Hundreds
of pheasants fall
The great game bird is known by
variety Of names. 1t is popularity
called "China pheasant" In the
verbiage Of the law it is referred to
as 'ring-necked Monaghan pheasant"
or "Torquatus pheasant" Several
persons who think the man who in
troduced the bird into this country
should be honored call it the Denny
pheasant" From the standpoint of
science it is a "gallinaceous bird of
the sub-family phasiande and genus
phasianus
The Monaghan pheasant is beau
tiful bird The male bird has most
brilliant plumage, which is truly ORR
entail in its splendor, and both male
and female combine grace and great
beauty with the qualities that make
the pheasant one of the best of game
birds. In scientific works the China
pheasant is distinguished from other
birds by the following characters
tics Bill moderate, strong yaulted,
slightly arched at lip, which over
hangs the lower mandible; wings
short and rounded, fourth and fifth
quills longest; tail long and web
shaped, each feather alternated; tassi
of males armed with spur.
The Dheasants are very prolific.
AS most of the residents of the CEN
trail part of Oregon have been hunt
ing the birds for years and are thor
oughly familiar with their habits,
thousands of birds are killed every
season. Every year at the close of
the open season the birds are very
scarce, and the fear is expressed that
they will be exterminated; but they
are hardy and prolific and the open
ing of the next hunting season finds
them practically as plentiful as in
the past
For years the fame of this great
game bird has been gradually spread
ing. Many Eastern men have gone to
Oregon to hunt, and many birds have
been sent to private parties in differ
ent parts of the East But it is only
in the past few years that any States
have become interested to the extent
of securing the birds for extensive
propagation.
A year ago Kansas secured five
dozen pheasants, most of which were
kept at the State hatchery. This
years 200 of the birds were sent to
be turned out in that State. Kansas
offered to take 1000 pairs, if they
could be secured for SIS a pair, in
which case the game warden would
have gone to Corvallis in his special
car But not nearly that many birds
were available and none could be
coorvnd OF tbaf Hrr,,yo
Minnesota and Illinois purchased
several pairs this year for their State
hatcheries. Besides sending pleas
ants to these three States the birds
this year have been shipped to par
ties in Mississippi, New York, Ala
bama, Montana, Washington, Colo
RADIO, Arizona, Oklahoma, British Co
lumbia and Mexico. There are only
few men in Oregon who are breed
ing the birds for commercial pur-
poses and all have many more or
ders than they can fill. Some have
already contracted to sell all they
can raise the coming year. The de-
mand for the pheasants is rapidly in
creasing, as their fame is spreading
throughout the country. kansas
City Star.