A LOOK BACKWARD 523 
state of things is that a considerable proportion of the 
men who formerly followed the dog afield, and a very 
large proportion of their descendants, have taken to 
shooting targets at the trap, for the reason that within 
the reach of most of us there are no birds to be had. 
I have never advocated the introduction into this 
country of foreign species of game, believing that our 
native species answer our requirements better than any 
foreign birds, and believing also that there is great 
danger in introducing exotic species into any country. 
I have believed that by the establishment of game 
refuges in various sections of the country the native 
game might be preserved and increased to such an ex- 
tent that it would overflow into adjacent territory, and 
that thus in each game refuge we should have a perma- 
nent source of supply which would at least prevent the 
extinction of species for any locality. I feel about the 
introduction of exotic species much as does Mr. Brews- 
ter, who, in his “Memoir on the Birds of the Cam- 
bridge Region,” says, speaking of the pheasant: 
“From the standpoint of the naturalist, the introduc- 
tion of most exotic forms of animal life must be a 
matter of regret rather than of satisfaction, and these 
pheasants, despite their undeniable beauty of form and 
coloring, and reported value as game, seem deplorably 
out of place ina New England landscape. Even if they 
did not crowd out our quail or ruffed grouse—as it 
has been feared they may—or devastate our cultivated 
crops—as they are already accused of doing—it would 
have been much wiser to expend the time and money 
