82 American Fisheries Society 



ditches satisfactorily, which will be self-cleaning. The 

 Board has examined a number of these but has not found 

 any that appear entirely satisfactory. Most of them are 

 efficient from the fish side of the question, hut there are 

 objections to all of them in their practicability as to instal- 

 lation and maintenance. Three different styles of automatic 

 screens have been approved and recommended as satisfac- 

 tory, in case they are installed and maintained, but none 

 has been formally adopted and its use made compulsory. 

 This is one of the most perplexing subjects with which the 

 Board has had to deal and its solution in a manner which 

 shall be equitable to both sides of the controversy, is one' 

 of the most greatly hoped for results which has come under 

 our consideration. 



The 1911 session of the legislature enacted a law which 

 stops entirely the shooting of introduced pheasants for two 

 years. The belief of the framers of this law, and of the 

 Board also, is that by thus prohibiting the killing for a few 

 years of these fine game birds, they will increase to such 

 numbers that an open season may again be declared. 



In order to help the natural breeding of game birds, par- 

 ticularly several species of introduced pheasants, the Board, 

 early in its history gave consideration to the subject of the 

 breeding in captivity and subsequent liberation of large num- 

 bers of game birds. In the fall of 1911, a contract was 

 made with Gene M. Simpson for the leasing of his game 

 farm i'n Benton county to the state, to be operated by the 

 owner as a State Game Farm under the direction of the 

 State Game Warden and the Board. Mr. Simpson's stock 

 of birds was bought. His farm was leased and his services 

 were contracted for for a term of three years. This game- 

 breeding plant is now in full operation and will turn out 

 this season 2,000 Chinese Pheasants, 200 Reeves Pheasants, 

 150 Golden Pheasants and 60 Silver Pheasants. Besides 

 the work on the different species as indicated, experimental 

 work is being conducted on native birds and other foreign 

 kinds with a view of ascertaining the ability to breed in 



