290 BIRDS IN THEIR RELATIONS TO MAN. 



The statutory regulations framed to restore the former 

 abundance of game birds, beginning with closed seasons and 

 continuing with bag limits, hunting licenses, prohibition of 

 sale, and so forth, while reasonably effective, have not accom- 

 plished their purpose with the speed nor to the degree 

 desired. With a view to supplementing their results, some 

 interesting, as well as productive, experiments have been 

 tried in artificial propagation of game birds. Professor C. F. 

 Hodge reared in confinement the bobwhite and the ruffed 

 grouse with great success, the eggs being hatched by bantams. 

 The California valley quail has been bred in a similar manner, 

 and there is no apparent reason why any of our native species 

 of grouse or quail cannot be artificially propagated. Mr. H. 

 K. Job states 1 that artificial foods may be given to young chicks 

 of these species if they are lightly fed and allowed to range. 

 The first food is usually egg, either hard boiled and mashed 

 with bread or cracker crumbs or made into a custard with 

 milk. After the first week, crushed grains are added in in- 

 creasing proportions, until the egg is eliminated at the end of 

 about two months. The young soon learn to forage for them- 

 selves, and although tame at first they gradually become wild. 

 Their instinctive attachment for the locality in which they 

 were raised holds them in the neighborhood, however. This 

 homing instinct which tends to attach birds to the locality 

 where they were bred operates against raising them in large 

 numbers on a single game farm for distribution to various 

 parts of a State. On the other hand, it favors individuals and 

 clubs who would raise them for stocking home covers. Mr. 

 Job tried similar experiments with several species of wild 

 ducks with encouraging results. Owing to the fact that ducks 

 are migratory, they are hunted comparatively little on their 

 breeding grounds. On this account their propagation, like 

 their protection, might well be undertaken by the national 

 government. 



1 Propagation of Upland Game-birds, Bulletin No. 2, published by 

 the National Association of Audubon Societies. 



