Job: Propagation of Wild Birds 



507 



in connection with it have been pretty 

 thoroughly worked out; "the main 

 thing has been to learn what precautions 

 are necessary to avoid the outbreak of 

 e])idemic diseases." 



Privacy is of primary importance with 

 this bird. " They are exceedingly secre- 

 tive in habits, particularly in mating 

 and breeding, and skulk nearly all the 

 time under cover, unless convinced 

 that no observer is near." 



AVOID OVERCROWDING 



"In a 5 or 6 acre enclosure at the 

 Clove Valley Club I saw 2,000 young 

 phesants raised without danger. But 

 quails would certainly not stand any- 

 thing like that amount of herding. We 

 do not yet know how far we can go 

 with numbers and crowding, and this 

 is to be worked out. Till this is done, 

 it is well to be cautious with the rearing- 

 field system, using, preferably, fields of 

 moderate size and more of them. For 

 the present, I should not try to keep 

 more than half a dozen broods in a field 

 of half an acre. For other broods it 

 will be safer to scatter the coops in the 

 open about the estate, preserve or 

 farm." 



Summarizing, Mr. Job advises that 

 quail can be successfully bred as follows ; 



"1. Secure breeding stock in the late 

 fall or early winter either by purchase 

 or by capture of a small stock by per- 

 mission of the authorities. 



"2. Keep these through the winter in 

 a wire enclosure with simple shelter 

 from storms and cold winds. 



"3. In April separate the pairs, 

 having each pair in a small pen by itself. 

 Some can remain in the larger pen 

 together, if there are not enough small 

 pens. 



"4. Hatch out the eggs and raise the 

 young with bantams. E)o not attempt 

 i.icubators and brooders. 



"5. Put the breeders back into the 

 large pen together by the latter part of 

 July, unless they wish to incubate. 



"6. In late fall or early winter catch 

 up what young are desired. The rest 

 can be left wild to breed naturally next 

 summer. Feed regularly under shelters 

 throughout the winter, to hold them on 

 the land, as also by planted areas of 



grain left standing for them. In severe 

 winter weather coveys might be shut 

 U]3 and cared for, and let go again." 



The grouse family,' including the 

 "partridge" and ptarmigan of the 

 North, the "prairie chicken," the heath- 

 hen, etc., offers another attractive field. 

 These birds become very tame in domes- 

 tication — in fact, the tameness of voung 



YOUNG QUAIL WATCHING A FLY 



Quails are usually reared in captivity from 

 eggs incubated by bantam hens. 

 Except for the possibility of certain 

 contagious diseases, quail breeding 

 offers no great difficulties, and is of 

 great benefit from an agricultural as 

 well as a sporting or commercial stand- 

 point. From "Propagation of Wild 

 Birds," by Job. (Fig. 10.) 



which are hatched and bred in captivity 

 is so great as to render them almost 

 helpless under natural conditions, until 

 they have had a chance to learn the 

 ways of the wild. 



THE WILD TURKEY 



For many reasons, the wild turkey 

 has attracted a number of breeders. 

 It is not so near extinction, in a state of 

 nature, as most people think, but it 



