By^Ferd. J . Sudow, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 



45 



Some pheasants mate in pairs, others are polygamous. English, Chinese Japanese and 

 Bohemian species should be mated one cock to four hens; Silver and Swinhoe, one cock to 

 one hen; Elliott and Reeves, one cock to two*"hens, and Golden and Lady Amherst, one cock 

 to two hens. The beginner will have to pay $7.00 a pair for English pheasants, the standard 

 price. Reeves and Lady Amherst varieties cost $25 to $30 a pair, and Goldens and Silvers 

 from $10 to $20 a pair. The rarer kinds cost a great deal more, running as high as $600 a 

 piece. 



To show the possibilities of pheasant breeding, it is interesting to look at the work done 

 in Oregon. About twenty-five years ago Judge Denny imported eighteen Chinese ringnecks 

 from China, and liberated them in the valley of the Willamette. State laws were enacted 

 to protect them from the hunter. The flock multiplied with great rapidity. In recognition 

 of his work of establishing in the wild woods such prolific game the Legislature of Oregon 

 gave the birds the name Denny pheasants. Thousands are shot by sportsmen every year, 

 but more of them remain in the woods and meadows of Oregon than of any other game bird 

 that inhabits the State. Fifty thousand of the birds were killed in a single day in the last 

 hunting season, yet it is said there are now more of this kind of pheasants in the State of 

 Oregon than are to be found in all China, their native country. 



About the only pheasantries in existence in the 

 United States are in New York, New Jersey, Massa- 

 chusetts, Illinois, Colorado and Oregon. On one game 

 preserve in New Jersey, 10,000 to 20,000 pheasants are 

 raised in a season. On one estate in Massachusetts 1,000 

 chicks and 1,500 eggs are obtained annually. 



In order to protect our game and in particular the 

 propagation of pheasants, it is high time that a law 

 licensing gunners should be established and strongly en- 

 forced. In a great measure it would do away with all 

 the nuisance of careless boys running at large with loaded 

 guns, and killing most everything that comes before their 

 guns, and endangering the lives of our good citizens. A 

 score of them are killed every season through the care- 

 lessness of gunners. 



The State of Illinois has already instituted this game 

 law, and charges $2 gun license per person, and is enforc- 

 ing this law very vigorously through the appointments 

 of many game wardens, and no doubt other states will 

 soon follow that statute. 



Game for shooting in this country is almost exter- 

 minated and we have only pheasants to fall back on; 

 therefore, pheasants are in great demand now. About 

 SAND HILL CRANES 250,000 pheasants are imported from Europe yearly 



(Can be raised in captivity) an d bought up in great quantities by our rich sportsmen 



to stock their preserves; also imported dead for table 

 use. Pheasant meat is considered the finest delicacy for the table. 



