Norwich bulletin., 1911-02-11
PROBLEM OF THE GAME elRDs. Efforts to Rel Stock tho Country
 Ways that Give Most Promiss.

PROBLEM or HE GAME BIRDS Efforts to Re- Stock tho Country Ways that Give Most Premiss. 1 (State OrnfthoIogist's Letter for Feb More than century ago, when gama was abundant, futile attempts were made to introduce foreign game birds as novelties into America But not till 1 8 years ago, when the growing scar city of game began to be recognized, was there any determined effort to re- stock depleted covers. Cautiously, one of the earlier of these recent attempts was the most successful of any, up to date In 1S80-81/a few ring -necked pheasants imported from China, were released in Oregon in the Willamette Valley and multiplied over all tha region. When in 1892, the first open season was declared. it is estimated that 50, 900 pI1eaSants were shot on the opening day.
 This naturally raised a great furore for pheasants, and in no less than Is states has the liberation and propaga- tion of various kinds of pheasants been tried, mostly with final discour- aging results, though at first some of these attempts seemed to be succeed ing. Only In a very few localities,- parts of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and the Genessee Valley, New York,-has there been any mark ed success. Some of the state game commissions. such as those of Mas sachusetts and Ohio, have given up further attempts and come out strong ly in fAvor of propagating native birds instead. While the methods have now been ascertained of rearing pheasants by thousands in captivity, these birds in the wild state usually disappear when general hunting is allowed.
 Discouraged over the showing of the pheasants, popular sentiment was turned to the so-called Hungarian" partridge. This species is a familiar game bird of most of Europe and oc- CUTS east of Central Asia. The popu- lar nickname arose because most of our irnportations were frc1n the noun tains of Hungary and Bohemia, where birds are larger and hardier than fish preserves. It is a fine bird, and was a wise selection in the honest ef- fort to find an adaptable foreign spe- cies to supplement our own. At least nine states have embarked upon this experiment. some of them on a large scale, especially from 1903. In that year about 12,000 of these birds. were imported into this country, and the next year over 27,000. Thus far about $1I5O, 900 has boen spent for gray part ridges. and for all foreign game spe- cies about half a million dollars
 
 judgment as to the possible results of recent and present attempts, the gen. era1 verdict from diSintereSted Scient- ists is that success in acclimating for eign game species of any kind under strange conditions is most dubious, with the odds all against it, and that far greater results approximately would be secured by similar efforts to increase and propagate native game birds, species which nature has adapt ed and made fit for Q certain environ ment by an age-1ong process. We may even believe that if near the outset the English sparrow itself had been consistently hunted by the 200, 900 gunners of the United States, it could hardly have "stuck."
 The following is generally becoming recognized among careful students of these problems as a practical summary of the case: Foreign birds suddenly transported to strange surroundings are fairly dazed, and do not properly know where to find food or how to avoid danger, especially if released when weak from the effects of the long voyage. If they were first fed up and put in good condition, then placed in preserves where food and shelter are supplied, vermin killed off, and where for some years they are not hunted, they are likely to increase as long as under this protection. It is more than
  gunning by the general public without being exterminated.
 Seeing that there is to be one fur ther effort this spring by our state commissioners of game to clinch the experiment with the Hungarian" partridge, the least we can do is to help the commission in every possible way by feeding and protecting the birds, if any are released in our vii cinity. and advocate the commissions bill which should not fail to pass, state for five ears.
 Meanwhile there is an fnsistent and growing demand for propagation ex- periments with our native species, es- pecially of our own quail or bob white. This problem, with this spe- cies, is apparently on the verge of a satisfactory solution, fhe main thing now being to systemantize the thing for the general public. The numbers of people already dabbling in quail raising is astonishing, and that neariy all over the United States. One day last week an eastern dealer shipped the middle west The Massachusetts game commission informs me that they expect to have started this spring in that state at least ten new quail hatcheries.
 So much new information relative to this problem has been coming in of late, that it has seemed best to delay for a short time the issue of the prom ised article on method and the an- nouncement of the definite plans for experimentation.
 HERBERT K. JOB,
 State Ornfthologist, West Haven.