DESTRUCTION AND PROTECTION 



539 



year by year. The problem as to what shall be done to 

 keep this stock from wholly disappearing gives cause 

 for much anxiety. 



For American sportsmen, American game birds are 

 the best, and there is no reason why we should not have 

 an abundance of these, provided only for a short time 

 we practice a little self-control. The wild turkey was 

 formerly found over the whole United States, east of 

 the Missouri River, south of the Niobrara and east of 

 the Rocky Mountains. Grouse of one sort and another 

 formerly abounded over almost the whole United States 

 and Canada, while in the southern portions of the 

 United States there were great numbers of quail. 

 These birds sportsmen may bring back, in large meas- 

 ure, if they care to; but they cannot do this by killing 

 them at every opportunity. All these birds are prolific 

 and probably all can be hand-reared. If this can be 

 done, they may be turned out in numbers on game 

 refuges if these shall be established and if absolutely 

 protected there, will soon spread themselves over the 

 surrounding country. They must be protected, how- 

 ever, alike against the gunner and against the attacks 

 of their natural enemies. 



It is not yet fully known what might be done with 

 our grouse and quail, but the experiments of Prof. C. 

 F. Hodge, of Worcester, with the ruffed grouse and 

 bobwhite, justify the belief that all grouse may be 

 reared in confinement. A short period of experimen- 

 tation by men interested in the subject will probably 

 result in the semi-domestication of practically all the 



