QUAIL PROPAGATION METHODS 39 



the mash can be discontinued, and the chick-grain mixture 

 made the principal food. A. G. MacVicar soaks the chick- 

 grain while the chicks are small. 



Insects. The birds, being reared on the free range plan, 

 are supposed to secure considerable insect food. It is well 

 to supplement this by catching insects for the young birds. 

 They are eager for grasshoppers, and any such food is sure 

 to do them good. One way to secure insects is to sweep the 

 grass with a butterfly net. Some striped beetles, however. 

 Doctor Hodge found to be injurious in any quantity. An- 

 other plan is to set fly-traps, kill the flies by heat, moisten, 

 and feed with the egg as mash. This is merely a makeshift. 

 Moreover, large quantities of flies sometimes kill young birds. 



Maggots. Formerly it was believed that birds of this 

 class could not be reared without maggots. The breeding of 

 these is disgusting work, and it is fortunate that they are 

 now found unnecessary. The most successful breeders now 

 never use them. Evans considers them rank poison when 

 raised in rotten meat. Inasmuch as he and Rogers and 

 others raise thousands of birds of various sorts without 

 them, it hardly seems desirable to incur the annoyance of 

 producing them. 



Green Food. Another important food element is green 

 vegetation. On range the birds, under favourable condi- 

 tions, secure this for themselves, browsing on clover and all 

 sorts of tender growths. In case this is lacking, as in very 

 dry weather, it is well to throw them a little lettuce, chick- 

 weed, or other succulent growth. 



Dried Meats. For an additional meat element many use 

 and recommend Spratt's crissel. Ordinary beef-scrap, un- 

 less known to be made from fresh meat, is dangerous. Even 

 crissel is dangerous if fed too freely. It is safe not to begin 

 it till about the time the egg is left off. Then use it in the 



