32 PROCURING STOCK BIRDS AND EGGS 



have been little demand in England for wild ducks 

 reared by hand, but the constant reclamation of marsh 

 land and the draining of the fens for agricultural pur- 

 poses has reduced the breeding grounds of the wild 

 birds very considerably, and good wild fowl shooting of 

 a perfectly natural kind is not easy to obtain at the pres- 

 ent time. All the best places are quickly snapped up." 



The same condition exists in America. The desirable 

 duck marshes as far West as California are now owned 

 or controlled largely by individuals and by duck clubs, 

 but there are thousands of places where ducks can be 

 introduced and made abundant. Mr. Bonnett mentioned 

 a large number of English game farmers who are en- 

 gaged in rearing wild ducks and stated the prices of the 

 birds and eggs. The price of wild ducks' eggs from the 

 game farms, he says, is now about £1, 10s. to £2, 10s. 

 per hundred, according to season, or £12 to £20 per 

 thousand. These figures, of course, refer to mallards. 

 The prices for other species are somewhat higher. 



Mr. Bonnett in concluding his article said: "There 

 would seem to be a big field open for the game farmer 

 in turning his attention to the rearing of other wild 

 fowl besides the ordinary duck, or mallard. Many other 

 kinds of fowl could doubtless be reared just as easily, 

 and several of them are just as handsome and sporting 

 birds. Among these may be mentioned the beautiful 

 little green runner ducks, the gorgeous shell ducks, the 

 widgeon and the teal as most suitable, but there are 

 several others that might afford sport, notably pintail,* 

 gadwall, shoveller, tufted duck, pochard and scaup. 



•Captain Oates writes me that pintail and teal have been tried on pre- 

 serves and that they do fairly well. 



