this and one or two other species of American quail have been established in the western part of the United States and British Columbia in localities where they did not previously exist. The bobwhite was introduced into the Bermudas prior to 1840, but between that year and 1859 became extinct on the island. It was afterwards reintroduced from the United States, and has since maintained itself, although it has not become abundant." The Asiatic quail (Perdicula argoondah) of India was introduced into Mauritius more than forty years ago. A few instances of naturalization of pigeons and doves are on record, among them that of the rock dove of Europe (Columba livia) in the island of St. Helena; that of the barred dove of the Malay Peninsula (Geopelia striata) in the Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion, Round Island, and St. Helena; and that of the Chinese dove (Turtur chinensis) in Hawaii.

As a rule greater success seems to have attended acclimatization of game birds of the Old World than of those of the New, and better results have been secured with pheasants than with any others. Comparatively little success has been attained in attempts to introduce the bobwhite and other American game birds (except possibly the California quail) into Europe, though several of the species succeed well in captivity.

In the case of migratory birds little or no success has been achieved, and in the effort to introduce the migratory quail of Europe into the United States much money and effort have been expended to no purpose, as the birds have disappeared in every case within a year or two after liberation. About 1877 repeated efforts were made to introduce this species. In June of that year 197 quail were liberated in Vermont in the vicinity of Rutland, and 189 in Massachusetts; but the experiments, though promising at first, finally resulted in the loss of all the birds.

STATE EXPERIMENTS IN INTRODUCTION AND PROPAGATION OF GAME BIRDS.

Foreign game birds have been imported by individuals and associations in many parts of the country. Mongolian pheasants were introduced on the northwest coast twenty-three years ago through the efforts of the late Judge O. N. Denny, formerly consul-general at Shanghai, and they have now become permanently established at a

a Bangs and Bradlee, Auk, Vol. XVIII, p. 250, 1901.

Salvadori, Cat. Birds British Museum, Vol. XXI, pp. 460–461, 1893. The ground dove of New South Wales (Geopelia tranquilla) has also been reported from the island (Meliss, Ibis, 1870, pp. 97-107).

e Forest and Stream, Vol. XIII, pp. 12, 345, 1877.

number of places in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. In referring to the increase of pheasants in Oregon Judge Denny states: "

The game warden, Mr. M'Guire, estimates the number killed last season [1893] in three months, in Linn County alone, at 13,000; and that a year ago last winter, when the sleet and snow were on, 1,200 dozen of these birds were sent to one dealer in San Francisco.

The success in Oregon stimulated similar experiments in other States, but the results attained have as a rule been less satisfactory, owing, probably, to less favorable natural conditions. Work of this kind has been undertaken under State auspices in comparatively few sections of the United States and Canada, notably in California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Vermont, and Ontario. In most cases the experiments have been limited to liberating pheasants, chiefly the Mongolian or ring-necked, but some attention has been paid to capercailzie in Vermont and Ontario, and to black grouse in Vermont and Maine.

In Delaware the

A few of these experiments are now in progress. Game Protective Association, which is in charge of the warden service of the State, distributed 28 pairs of Chinese pheasants in 1903 and about 60 pairs in 1904. The reports of the progress of this work are encouraging and give promise of success. In 1893 the Game and Inland Fishery Protection Society of Nova Scotia, which acts as a game commission of the Province, imported 18 pheasants, which were liberated in suitable localities. Apparently pheasants have not increased to any great extent in Nova Scotia, and the question whether they will ever become firmly established is still in doubt. Reference has already been made to the recent introduction of capercailzie from Sweden by the Ontario Game Commission (see p. 15). The expense of this experiment was about $1,400. The birds were apparently liberated under more favorable conditions than those in Vermont and Maine, and the present outlook for the experiment is very promising. Propagation for distribution has also been tried in a few States, but at present is being carried on only in Massachusetts. About 1898 New Jersey attempted to raise and distribute pheasants, but soon discontinued the work, and in recent years has confined its efforts chiefly to securing native quail for distribution.

Ohio systematically raised Mongolian pheasants for several years, and in 1900 expended $4,000; in 1901, $3,000; and in 1902, $2,000. In 1900 about 7,075 eggs were collected from 161 female pheasants. Of these 2,575 were distributed throughout the State and 4,500 were set at the hatchery at London. Of the latter, 3,181 eggs hatched and 2,239 birds were distributed, the smallest number sent to any one county being 14, the largest 77. In 1901 about 9,041 eggs were col

@Rept. Mass. Comm. Fish and Game for 1894, p. 19.

lected from 228 female pheasants. Of these 4,000 were distributed and 5,000 were set at the pheasantry. Of the whole number 3,420 eggs hatched; 1,680 birds were distributed, and 2,852 were reared and placed in parks. It will be noticed that in 1900, 71 per cent of the eggs hatched, and in 1901, 68 per cent. In the summer of 1902 the experiment was discontinued because of the failure of the general assembly to make an appropriation sufficient to carry on the work. The commission reported:

*

*

At

The impression was prevalent that pheasant raising could never attain satisfactory results in Ohio, owing to climatic conditions and to various other causes detrimental to pheasant life. There is a division of opinion on this question, but the burden of evidence seems to be in support of the conclusion that the State should discontinue the work. The rearing of the birds involved large expense, and, despite the utmost care, disease was liable to sweep away a great portion of the hatch. some time in the future it seems desirable to attempt the propagation of quail, using for this work the general paraphernalia of the pheasantry. (Rept., 1902, pp. 6,7.) New York undertook the propagation of pheasants for distribution in 1896, and continued the experiment for eight years. The original stock of 12 birds increased by 1897 to 180 and in 1900 distribution was begun. From 1900 to 1904, the total number of pheasants distributed was 1,064. The work was then brought to a close as explained in the following statement issued in April, 1904:

It is officially announced by the Forest, Fish and Game Commission that no more pheasants will be bred for free distribution by the State. The annual distribution made on February 1, as usual, covered all the birds on hand in the pens at the Pleasant Valley Hatchery which were sent out to 57 different localities.

The Commission states that, while the experiment with the pheasants has been a success and has led many fish and game clubs throughout the State to breed and distribute the birds, it is no longer desirable for the Department to continue the work, both on account of the readiness with which pheasants may now be procured from commercial hatcheries, and of the fact that no funds are now properly available for the necessary expense which it entails.

The order to breed pheasants at the Pleasant Valley Hatchery in Steuben County, was given in 1896, and about 40 birds were raised there the next year. These were not released until the year following when the stock had increased to 180 birds. In 1899 the first and only appropriation made for the work was secured, amounting to $1,000, which was chiefly used in constructing the necessary pens. That year over 400 pheasants were successfully reared. In 1900 the number of birds distributed was 216, in 1901 it was 199, in 1902 it was 225, in 1903 it was 208, and in 1904 it was 216. During the year which closed on February 1, the Commission received applications which, if they could all have been filled, would have required 238 pairs of pheasants. When the legislature declined to make a further appropriation, the Commission apportioned the birds on hand among the applicants, and instructed the hatchery foreman to dismantle the pens.

Massachusetts began experiments with pheasants in 1894 with an appropriation of $150. This was followed in 1895 by an appropriation of $400. In the latter year an act was passed giving complete

protection to English, Mongolian, and golden pheasants for five years, and the law has since been extended to 1905. The original stock of birds, which comprised 5 obtained in 1894 and 12 in 1895, has increased, so that the commissioners of fisheries and game were able to distribute 232 pheasants in 1902 and 424 in 1903. Propagation is still being continued with good prospects of success.

LIMITATIONS ON INTRODUCTION OF FOREIGN GAME BIRDS.

Among the factors to be considered in an attempt to acclimatize foreign game birds are three of special importance, namely, habits of the birds, their cost, and their protection.

HABITS OF THE BIRDS.

A fundamental question, and one often lost sight of in introducing birds, is whether the species is resident or migratory. Birds which have been successfully introduced into new regions are, with scarcely an exception, those that do not migrate, while those with which failure has been common are migratory. The migratory instinct is so strong that when the proper season arrives the birds almost certainly leave the place of liberation, and they seldom return. The only way in which success may be attained in introducing migratory species is by reducing the birds to a state of domestication, keeping them in captivity, or possibly putting them on islands, like New Zealand, in mid-ocean, far removed from other land. Occasionally a migratory species becomes to a certain extent resident and lingers about a locality for several years, as in the case of the skylark on Long Island, but this is exceptional, and can not be depended on. These facts readily explain the success which has attended the introduction of pheasants, which are resident, and the failures with the European quail, which are migratory.

Thousands of European quail have been liberated in the United States during the last thirty or forty years, but nowhere has the species gained a foothold. Most of the birds turned out in Massa chusetts and Vermont in June, 1877, to which reference has already been made, disappeared after a few months. During the following autumn European quail were seen and killed at various points along the South Atlantic coast; thirty or forty were reported to have flown on board a vessel off Cape Hatteras, several were shot in Carteret County, on the coast of North Carolina, and one was shot and at least three bevies were seen near Savannah, Ga."

Of the game birds which are commonly introduced, waterfowl, plover, and Old World quail are nearly all migratory, and except a Forest and Stream, Vol. XIII, pp. 307, 397, 1877.

under peculiar conditions, can be successfully kept only in captivity. In New Zealand green plover, golden plover, and several species of ducks and geese have been introduced. The experiments with plover failed, but those with certain ducks and geese have been comparatively successful.

Even in the case of resident species the habits of introduced birds must be carefully considered, particularly in regard to food supply and cover. In the case of pheasants, food and cover are especially important, as shown by two recent experiments in California. case the birds were liberated in the great interior valley, where grain and other food were abundant but cover was lacking. In the other case they were turned out on a large preserve near the coast, where there was abundant cover but little grain. In both instances the birds failed to increase and the experiments practically failed.

COST OF BIRDS.

Although some pheasants can now be had at reasonable prices, the cost of the rarer birds is still almost prohibitory if any considerable number are desired. Prices of pheasants vary not only according to species, but also according to season, being lowest in the early autumn and highest in March and April. The average price per pair of some of the commoner species is as follows: English and Mongolian pheasants, $5 to $10; silver pheasants, $15 to $25; golden, $18 to $25; Reeves, $20 to $30; Amherst, $20 to $35; Swinhoe, $25 to $40, and Elliot, $30 to $50. Of the ducks most frequently imported, the price of wood ducks and mandarins ranges from $15 to $25 per pair.

Considering the comparative ease with which some of these birds, such as golden pheasants, wood ducks, and mandarin ducks can be propagated, these prices seem unnecessarily high and, as shown by the small number of birds in many importations, are almost prohibitive. Golden pheasants are often imported singly, in pairs, or in trios, and, consequently, experiments frequently fail by the loss of one or two birds, whereas, if a dozen or more were imported, as in the case of English or ring-necked pheasants, the chances for success would be much greater. Judging by the demand for these birds, which seems to be on the increase, it would appear that lower prices would increase sales to such an extent as not to affect profits to any appreciable degree.

PROTECTION.

Before foreign game birds can be successfully acclimated, they must be given protection long enough to enable them to gain a foothold amid their new surroundings. If they belong to groups other than those of our native birds, and consequently are not covered by such