Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-07
WHY NOT HAVE
 GAME BIRDS AGAIN Artificial Propagation the Key to the
 Situation.

(State Ornithologfst's Letter for Jan
 uary)
 The motto of the English and Con- tinental game keepers is: For every bird you shoot, put back two.' The result is that they have game in abundance all the time. Until we do something similar, besides, of course, taking proper care of what wild stock see our game birds grow rsaEcer.
 According to g. table compiled by Dr William T. Hornaday, director of the New York geological park, giving figures of each state of the relative decrease in bird life, during & recent period of fifteen years. in that time the birds are said to have decreased in Connecticut 75 per cent, which is the maximum amount reported by any state except Florida This decrease is notably true of our upland game birds At this rate, how much longer shall we have any left, unless we try new methods?
 Under our free institutions we allow anybody to buy Q hunters license, and in Connecticut issue over 15,000 of these each year, whereas in Europe the hunting privilege is much restrict ed This goes to show that 1T propa- gation methods are essential there, they are even more so with us. Those old established countries, after cen turies of experiment, have reduced the thing to a science, based upon practt cal successful methods of artificial propagation.
 Our American method has been to allow practically universal hunting, till more of our game-birds have been killed off. and then, at the demand of the hunters who pay licenses for more game to shoot, we buy up bdrds and release them to be shot. Since it is no longer possible to buy native game birds for re- stocking purposes, we have had imported foreign species, notably Hungarian partridge and prea sants,-in hope that some of those would survive and re-stock our de- pleted covers. Various states besides ours have tried these experiments. which were well worth testing and gave promise of good results.
 Expert authorities, such as the U. S. biologocal survey, as voiced by Dr. T. s. Palmer, in charge of game protec- and declare that nearly all those ex- periments have proved utter failures MT Henry Oldys of the biological sur vey shows that the Hungarian part ridge migrates, and the costly birds bought by the commissions of north ern states are enjoyed by the southern glInners. In general, foreign birds prove nearly hopeless under the new conditions, and quickly perish. Evi- dently We are on the wrong track Sportsmen are beginning to realize that in the artificial propagation Of our native game-birds must lie ou1 main hope.
 In Europe they know how success fully to breed game-b birds, including American species and it could be done exactly as we'll hero as there. IL Belgium, for example, they breed oui beautiful American wood duck by the thousands. and, strange to say, wher we want wood ducks we have to senc over there for them. They raise game birds as successfully as we dc chickens. What's the matter witt us!
 The idea is taking root in this country. Successful game farms mostly for private profit, are spring ing up. notably in the middle west and 8 great new and profitable indus try is arising. Wild ducks are raised by thousands for sale for all possible purposes. This is true of pheasant raising, and some are having very fair initial success with quail, as vel as other game. The Massa ciHusett' fish and game commission have beer