PRIVATE GAME PRESERVES 207 



to be rendered infertile by shipping long distances. 

 The second season 65 live birds were brought over 

 from England for breeding stock. In a few seasons 

 the annual hatch was brought up to about 4,000 

 pheasants. One year 500 live quail were brought 

 from the South, and set out in the fall in small wire 

 coops. They were fed regularly and wintered well, 

 and in the spring they were liberated. A great 

 many birds were reared by this stock, but practi- 

 cally all of them left "Tranquillity" before the next 

 winter. 



In 1891 part of the preserve was enclosed for 

 deer, white-tailed, mule and wapiti, which were 

 liberated and did well for several years. 



An experiment was made of crossing American 

 bison bulls with Galloway cows ; but nineteen cows 

 died calving, and the experiment was given up. 



In the early nineties a beaver colony was started, 

 which proved successful. The offspring of this 

 colony are now breeding in open territory in New 

 York State, without adequate protection. 



The ruffed grouse, native to the Tranquillity 

 district, increased rapidly on account of the per- 

 sistent trapping of vermin, and the ring-necked 

 pheasants apparently did not molest them or dimin- 

 ish their numbers. The ring-necked pheasants keep 

 to the open woods and fields, and to some extent 

 apparently drive the grouse deeper into the woods, 

 but beyond this do not interfere with them. 



One of the most important contributions of this 



