THIRTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 99 



edge of the breeding range and only a very small per cent nest in 

 our state. In fact, it is quite probable that 90 per cent nest to the 

 north of the Canadian line. It would be interesting to know just 

 what has happened in this great area during the past twenty-five 

 years. What percentage of the original breeding ground is left? What 

 is the annual crop ? Until we know something about the number of 

 ducks that are produced every year and the annual toll and natural 

 loss from disease and other causes, our conservation work as far as 

 waterfowl is concerned will be largely guess work. 



A great step forward in the protection of waterfowl was made when 

 the federal law stopped the sale of ducks. Up to that time hundreds 

 of thousands of ducks had been sold every year. The San Francisco 

 markets alone consumed from 300,000 to 500,000 ducks. Throughout 

 the state it is probable that 1,000,000 ducks were sold until the federal 

 law, and later the state law, stopped this heavy drain. Today, while 

 there are some ducks sold, the number does not amount to 1 per cent 

 of the sale in olden days. Geese are in need of further protection. 

 There should be either a closed season or the shooting of geese over 

 live decoys should be forbidden. 



QUAIL 



During the 1925 session of the legislature the season during which 

 quail could be killed was shortened to the month of December only, in 

 all parts of the state except district If. This provided a season at a 

 time when the birds were fully developed after the rainy season had 

 commenced so that flocks would not be concentrated around waterholes, 

 and at a time when sportsmen are busy with the holiday season and 

 would not have the opportunity of getting into the field many times. 

 Under this law quail have increased in all parts of the state. Each 

 season there have been enough birds carried over for the next breeding 

 season -to produce an increased erop. An attempt was made at the last 

 session to change to an earlier season, but fortunately it was frowned 

 upon by the Assembly. Two deputies of the division during the morn- 

 ing of December 4th in western Fresno County checked 110 quail hunt- 

 ers. These hunters had 987 quail. Most of them probably secured 

 limits after being checked. 



OTHER GAME 



Doves are holding their own under the September season in northern 

 California and September and October in southern California. If doves 

 nested only once during the summer the species could not survive very 

 many open seasons as the normal clutch of eggs is only two. For- 

 tunately, however, it seems that there may be as many as four broods 

 raised by a single pair. The records show that doves nest in some part 

 of the state practically every month of the year. 



GROUSE 



Grouse are represented in California by three species and an addi- 

 tional subspecies. In former years a fourth, the sharptail, was found 

 in Modoc and Lassen counties, but there has not been a record of the 

 sharptail being taken nor have any been seen for many years. The 

 largest grouse, the sage hen, is still common in the sagebrush country 

 in the higher elevations of the northeast part of the state and south into 

 Invo County. With the limited open season the drain has not been 



