CHAPTER VI 

 OTHER FOREIGN GALLINACEOUS SPECIES 



Need Careful Study. Besides pheasants there are other 

 foreign species which have been experimented with in Amer- 

 ica, and many more which might be. While the major 

 emphasis should be placed upon the native birds, there is no 

 reason why interest should not be directed, in proper ways, 

 to any other attractive and valuable species of this class. 

 It should be remembered, however, that of numerous at- 

 tempts to introduce foreign species in the wild state by merely 

 shipping them in and liberating them, with only one species, 

 the ring-necked pheasant, have the attempts as yet been 

 successful. Large sums of money, both public and private, 

 have been wasted in such attempts. Before embarking upon 

 such schemes on a large scale, careful experiments should 

 first be made, to ascertain whether the bird in question can 

 be successfully bred and whether it can maintain itself under 

 the new conditions. 



Unsuccessful Attempts. Clearly unsuccessful attempts 

 at introduction have been made with the following species: 

 the migratory or Messina quail, red-legged or French part- 

 ridge, black grouse, and capercailzie, all of Europe, the sand 

 grouse and chukar partridge of India, and numerous fancy 

 pheasants and tragopans. 



Breeding Tinamou. Probably it would be possible to 

 breed any of these and maintain them under artificial con- 

 ditions. This is being done on the estate of William Rocke- 



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