RsH And GameCommssion 





■^i'^; 



J 



At the present time in New York and other eastern states, this 

 bird has a ready market value of from ten to twenty dollars per dozen, 

 and it is almost impossible to get them at these or any other prices. 



Wherever the quail abound it has proven itself to be a very good 

 friend to the farmer and horticulturist. It consumes daily a large 

 quantity of both weed seed, insects and insect larvae — many of the in- 

 sects being injurious and destructive to grain and fruit — even the 

 potato bug has been found in his craw. The farmers and fruit growers 

 of the Flathead are warm friends of the quail and many of them 

 leave a few bundles of grain for its winter use. The Montana Bob 

 White appears to be of a richer color than his eastern ancestor, as 

 well as a larger and perhaps hardier bird. 



Another bird worthy of mention is the Hungarian or Gray partridge. 

 This bird is about twice as large as the Bob White and said to be a 

 hardier bird; it is not so migratory in its habits, and it is altogether 

 likely that this bird would find a congenial home in many parts of Mon- 

 tana. As this is a grain growing state, it would seem desirable to add 

 this bird to our list of game birds. 



The Mongolian pheasant has succeeded very well in many parts of 

 the United States and is being propagated quite extensively in a num- 

 ber of states, Oregon being the pioneer state in this work. It has also 

 obtained a good start in Idaho and Washington, while in Ohio and New 

 York it has been for some time propagated under the direction of the 

 Fish and Game Commission of these states. The English ringnecked 

 pheasant now so abundant throughout Great Britain, is of Chinese 

 nativity, but as this pheasant was brought to England some eight hun- 

 dred years ago, it has undergone climatic changes which now distin- 

 guish it in some respects from the Mongolian pheasant; this pheasant 



