CHAPTER XXn 



DOMESTICATION OF WILD BIRDS 



Success achieved. Considerable progress has 

 been made in recent years in the domestication of 

 wild birds. Many experiments have been tried with 

 a great variety of birds with varying degrees of suc- 

 cess, but some have been so fully successful that 

 several species of wild birds may be considered 

 partially domesticated. 



These experiments have been tried with two 

 classes of birds, the water-fowl and the so-called 

 gallinaceous birds, or land game-birds. Among the 

 first group the birds which have been successfully 

 reared in captivity are ducks, geese, and swans. 

 Among the gallinaceous birds, the bob-whites and 

 several other quail, the ruffed grouse, the prairie 

 hen, the wild turkey, and pheasants have been suc- 

 cessfully reared. 



The greatest success has been achieved in rear- 

 ing the mallard duck. Some strains have become 

 thoroughly domesticated like barnyard fowl. Other 

 ducks which have been successfully reared are the 

 wood duck, pintail, redhead, gadwall, widgeon, 

 shoveler, green- winged and blue-winged teals, black 

 duck, canvasback, and lesser scaup. The Canada 

 goose has also been successfully reared. 



