NON-NATIVE GAME BIRDS 35 



gether disappointing-. Maine, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, 

 and Minnesota have had similar experiences. Massachusetts imported 

 pheasants from Oregon as early as 1889. The birds established them- 

 selves rapidly, an open season being soon declared ; but they failed 

 to maintain their initial vigor. Oklahoma planted thousands of Eng- 

 lish Pheasants, and between 1910 and 1913 distributed 20,000 pheasant 

 eggs to persons who pledged themselves to hatch, rear, and liberate 

 the birds when mature. In spite of this endeavor few, if any, pheas- 

 ants are now to be found in Oklahoma. In practically all cases, 

 promising reports were received during the first year after planting ; 

 but with the second year reports were less encouraging, and by the 

 third year the birds had disappeared. 



It is seen, therefore, that California's experiences with the Ring- 

 necked Pheasant have been somewhat intermediate between the utter 

 failures of eastern states and the marked successes of Oregon, "Wash- 

 ington, and British Columbia. 



Hungarian Partridge 



In 1905 attention began to focus on the Hungarian, or common 

 European, Partridge {Perdix perdix). For a time attempts to pro- 

 cure birds for planting here failed. Finally W. E. Gerber succeeded 

 through his personal efforts in purchasing in Hungary and shipping 

 to California, fifty-four of these partridges. Half of the birds died 

 in transit ; the remainder upon arrival were placed in an aviary on 

 his ranch near Sacramento (Calif. Fish Comm., 1907, pp. 64-65). 

 No success attended the effort to propagate the birds in captivity ; in 

 fact onl}' two eggs were laid. The birds were finally liberated, but 

 nothing further was heard of them. 



In the spring of 1908 the Fish and Game Commission purchased, 

 from eastern game dealers, for stocking purposes, 395 Hungarian 

 Partridges, and in the following year 2,127 more. These birds were 

 planted in lots of 20 to 50 in more than ninety localities in the state, 

 from San Diego County to Siskiyou County and from sea level to 

 high in the mountains. During the same year 65 Hungarian Part- 

 ridges were received for propagation purposes at the State Game 

 Farm; in 1910, 993 were received there, and in February, 1912, 24 

 more. Notwithstanding this large breeding stock, not a single young 

 bird was reared at the Game Farm. The birds died off rapidly, and 

 by 1914 not one remained. During the first year after planting, 

 broods of young were reported to have been seen in many parts of 

 the state, but such favorable reports soon ceased. As an example 

 of the result of California's attempts to establish the Hungarian 

 Partridge we quote a report from George Neale : "About the year 



