DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION 539 
year by year. The problem as to what shall be done to 
keep this stock from wholly disappearing gives cause 
for much anxiety. 
For American sportsmen, American game birds are 
the best, and there is no reason why we should not have 
an abundance of these, provided only for a short time 
we practice a little self-control. The wild turkey was 
formerly found over the whole United States, east of 
the Missouri River, south of the Niobrara and east of 
the Rocky Mountains. Grouse of one sort and another 
formerly abounded over almost the whole United States 
and Canada, while in the southern portions of the 
United States there were great numbers of quail. 
These birds sportsmen may bring back, in large meas- 
ure, if they care to; but they cannot do this by killing 
them at every opportunity. All these birds are prolific 
and probably all can be hand-reared. If this can be 
done, they may be turned out in numbers on game 
refuges—if these shall be established—and if absolutely 
protected there, will soon spread themselves over the 
surrounding country. They must be protected, how- 
ever, alike against the gunner and against the attacks 
of their natural enemies. 
It is not yet fully known what might be done with 
our grouse and quail, but the experiments of Prof. C. 
F. Hodge, of Worcester, with the ruffed grouse and 
bobwhite, justify the belief that all grouse may be 
reared in confinement. A short period of experimen- 
tation by men interested in the subject will probably 
result in the semi-domestication of practically all the 
