12 THE EEPOET UPOK No. 13 



English Pheasants. 



Eeporfcs from the eastern part of his district, where the Department experi- 

 mented with this game bird are very encouraging. Last season the sportsmen 

 were able to kill quite a number of them, and they are reported to be still on the 

 increase, so that there can be no doubt that the bird has become thoroughly ac- 

 climated in that district. The southern part of the County of Korfolk is par- 

 ticularly well adapted for this bird, and he would suggest that a few pair be sent 

 to that County and an endeavor made to establish them there. 



Woodcock. 



As usual, this bird is very scarce in Ms district, but after making his annual 

 report last year, he heard of several bags of five or six being made in a day. How- 

 ever, they are so scarce that they can hardly be counted as one of the game birds 

 of the district. 



Black Squirrels. 



As he reported last year, ' there are so few woods left in the district, these little 

 game animals are becoming quite scarce. From all the reports he has been able to 

 get they appear to be as numerous as they were last year. 



Wild Geese. 



Very few of these birds have been killed. They practically only visit this 

 district in the spring, and as they have adopted a system of spreading out all over 

 the country, lighting in the wheat field instead of feeding in the marshes as 

 formerly, it is very difficult to get an estimate of the number. If anything, there 

 has been a decrease. 



Wild Ducks. 



The Long Point District reports a, very successful season this fall. The ducks 

 seem to be in greater quantities than ever. The number of Black Ducks that 

 breed in the marshes surrounding the Bay is increasing from year to year. In 

 talking with the different sportsmen, he finds that they attribute the increase in 

 the number of ducks to the fact that the greater part of the marshes surrounding 

 Long Point Bay are owned by game clubs where the shooting is limited, so that the 

 ducks are not shot at as continually as they are at other places, and they seem to 

 have changed their line of flight to the south, stopping here where they formerly 

 stopped at other points from which they have i been driven. 



Fur-bearing Animals. 



The muskrat is still the main fur-bearing animal in this district. The water 

 in Lake Erie was very low again last winter, so that there was a very small catch. 

 The Long Point 'Company, the largest game preserve in his district, allowed ino 

 trapping whatever, as so few survived the winter they desired to keep them as a 

 breeding herd. The other marshes were not trapped to their full capacity for the 

 same reason. 



The Deputy Wardens and Overseers have been active and efficient in their 

 duties, and there have been very few complaints of infringements of the law. 



