298 THE IMPORTANCE OF BIRD LIFE 



old they are allowed to roam at will ; but despite 

 a natural tendency to run wild they will not leave 

 their foster-mothers until nearly full-grown. 

 When four or five weeks old the little birds are 

 fully feathered out and able to care for themselves. 

 They are, however, prevented from straying by 

 being fed daily at the same spot. 



A total of 55,400 pheasant eggs were distri- 

 buted in 1919 from the state game-farms of New 

 York free of charge, and 9206 half -grown birds 

 were shipped out for liberation later in the season. 

 The eggs were delivered mainly to sportsmen, with 

 a few to interested farmers, and from them 18,791 

 birds were reared and liberated, making a total of 

 28,000 pheasants liberated in that State for the 

 year. The number of eggs distributed in 1921 

 reached 103,300 and birds reared and released by 

 the farms numbered 11,377. By far the majority 

 of these eggs were shipped to clubs in lots of 1000 

 to 5000, and the number of birds raised and liber- 

 ated from these ranged from 350 to 3300 pheasants 

 for each lot. 



The game-farms of other States have been 

 equally prolific in their production of much-needed 

 game-birds, but at present only about a dozen 

 States are able to maintain farms. Some States, 

 Pennsylvania and Illinois, for example, which 

 thoroughly believe in the conservation of their 

 game resources and which still have a little native 

 game left, rely mainly upon the establishment of 



