GAME BIRDS AS PETS 



479 



obtain the eggs gratis from 

 the Conservation Commis- 

 sions of many States if he 

 will promise to liberate the 

 birds when they are grown. 

 It is even more interesting 

 to watch the young game 

 birds develop than it is to 

 have the old birds about 

 one. A book like that writ- 

 ten by H. K. Job on the 

 propagation of wild birds 

 will give one the principles 

 involved and a little ex- 

 perienc - - \" all that is neces- 

 sary to start one in a mod- 

 est way into the business 

 of eame farming or at least 

 the raising of a few pheas- 

 ants for his own pleasure. 

 The ring-necked pheasant 

 is the one most commonly 

 and easily raised and is always the one best to begin 

 with because the stock is the least expensive. If one 

 wishes still more showy birds, however, the golden, the 

 silver, the Lady 

 Amherst, and 

 the Reeve's 

 pheasants are 

 nearly as easily 

 managed. 

 Pheasants are, 

 however, near- 

 ly always wild, 

 untamable 

 birds and their 

 young are very 

 much like 

 them, lacking 

 e n t i r e 1 y the 

 friendly con- 

 fiding natures 

 of our native 

 bob- whites and 

 grouse. The 

 most lovable 



A FAMILY OF MALLARDS ON THE SHORE OF THE POND. 

 MALLARD DUCKS ARE VERY EASILY RAISED IN CAPTIVITY. 



of all the young birds with 

 which I have ever had any 

 experience are those of the 

 ruffed grouse. They seem 

 absolutely devoid of fear 

 from the time they are 

 hatched and seem to enjoy 

 being handled for they cud- 

 dle into one's hand in a 

 most trusting manner. As. 

 they grow older, they seem 

 to crave human companion- 

 ship and like nothing bet- 

 ter than to climb all over 

 one. One young bird that 

 i raised to maturity de- 

 manded human attention 

 and, if I neglected to play 

 with him when bringing 

 feed, he would fly at me as 

 though enraged and tug at 

 my trouser leg until I gave 

 wished. Our native grouse 

 difficult to raise in captivity 



THE SNOW GOOSE MAKES A 



him the attention that he 



and quail are much more 



than are the pheasants and one should not plan to experi- 



men t with 

 them until af- 

 ter he has 

 learned the 

 rules with 

 pheasants J 

 When he is 

 prepared to dp 

 so, however, he 

 has a wonder- 

 ful storehouse 5 

 before him 

 with which to 

 enrich his life 

 and make more 

 dear to him' 

 than ever the 

 days spent in 

 the woods and 

 fields in search 

 of game. 



BETTER PET THAN THE CANADA GOOSE, BECAUSE IT IS A 

 MUCH MORE GENTLE BIRDS. 



AN ORCHARD PLANTED IN HONOR OF "CHER AMP 



ONE of the members of the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation, who has already generously (and anony- 

 mously) arranged for the planting of two memorial or- 

 chards in France in honor of two Americans who gave 

 their lives in the war, was touched by the following appeal 

 and has donated a third orchard to be planted in France 

 as a fitting memorial to "Cher Ami," the carrier pigeon : 

 "Shall we forget 'Cher Ami,' the carrier pigeon, the 

 stout-hearted, swift-winged message bearer that flew 

 through whistling shrapnel and bursting bombs and 



brought the news from the Argonne Forest to American 

 headquarters of the desperate plight of the Lost Battalion 

 and its famous leader Lt.-Col. Whittlesey ? Relief came 

 in response to the appeal found in the container on the 

 pink leg of the battered and exhausted little body that lay 

 where it had fallen in the pigeon loft at the American 

 Army Headquarters in France. 'Cher Ami' was cited by 

 General Pershing for meritorious service and awarded the 

 Distinguished Service Cross. He died from the wounds he 

 received when carrying a message that saved men's lives." 



