11 



wood ducks and Canada geese find a ready market alive at 

 from $10 to $25 a pair, or more, those who miderstand the 

 business of rearing them ought to make a profit. Pheasants 

 may be sold at similar prices, and at present they will bring 

 profitable returns in some of our markets. Any successful 

 pheasant raiser in Massachusetts ought now to be able to 

 dispose of all the birds that he can rear. If the people take 

 advantage of their opportunity, enough of these birds should 

 be raised by farmers and sportsmen to make them plentiful 

 in our markets. The ring-necked pheasant, which is the 

 species most commonly reared, is not a conspicuous success as 

 a wild game bird in Massachusetts; but it has succeeded 

 better, under the adverse conditions surrounding game birds 

 here, than has any other introduced species. It thrives best, 

 however, if given some care and protection, and it needs to 

 be fed in winter. As a half-domesticated game bird, arti- 

 ficially propagated, protected and fed by man, it is unexcelled. 

 Its general distribution throughout the State under protection 

 is not particularly desirable, for it is liable to diseases that are 

 fatal to native game birds, and where it becomes numerous it 

 is destructive to certain crops, and consumes the food of 

 quail in winter. But if reared in inclosures while young, and 

 allowed to run half wild on the grounds of the owner, it makes 

 a very desirable addition to the supply of game for the table, 

 and therefore will probably take the place in our markets of 

 some of the native game birds now illegally sold. 



A general open shooting season for pheasants will prevent 

 them from becoming too numerous, and thus constituting a 

 menace to our natiA'e game birds. In the meantime, those 

 who wish to propagate or protect pheasants have now their 

 opportunity. 



Deer may be reared in pastures and sold alive at a profit. 

 The rearing of game in inclosures or on preserves must be de- 

 pended on to help in solving the problem of the game supply 

 of the future. 



