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THE GAME BREEDER 



as to game, and 1 honor the courageous 

 leader of this new regenerative move- 

 ment, the editor of The Game Breeder, 

 for the manHness and persistent deter- 

 mination with which almost single 

 handed he has pushed it in the face of 

 a prevalent adverse opinion. I rejoice 

 to discover that he is rapidly winning 

 over so many of. the unprejudiced and 

 misled opposition; and I have an abiding 

 faith that he will eventually win out al- 

 together; and that then the sportsmen's 

 and anglers' millenium will come ! His 

 organ ought to have a universal circula- 

 tion, for it is the vehicle of a new gospel 

 of beneficence. 



The work of the United States Fish- 

 eries Commission has ever been that of 

 stimulation and co-operation, and is now, 

 so far as it is permitted to act. The 

 efforts of individuals have been encour- 

 aged in every way and so have those of 

 the State Fish Commissioners, fish cul- 

 turists, angling clubs and associations, 

 sporting journals. State Legislatures, and 

 every other agency or instrument, how- 

 ever humble, which has attempted to add 

 to or preserve our fish supply, or inculcate 

 in the prodigal mind a sense of economy, 

 providence or thrift. For fifteen years 

 protection and propagation were pursued 

 on the original lines until it became ob- 

 vious that nothing further could be ac- 

 complished by processes already in vogue 

 and a new departure was instituted. The 

 outcome of subsequent efforts was set 

 forth in an elaborate statement at the 



London conference of 1883, and the pol- 

 icy itself was for the first time openly 

 declared. It is gratifying to state that 

 it was at once endorsed by men of the 

 highest scientific attainments and the 

 broadest views of political economy. 

 Prof. Goode in his report on that occa- 

 sion read this : "PubUc fish culture is 

 only useful when conducted upon a gi- 

 gantic scale." 



And so the question of the enjoyment 

 of private rights to the exclusion of pub- 

 lic participation becomes narrowed into a 

 question between individual limited effort 

 and the potency of the government work- 

 ing in the universal interest. There can 

 be no doubt of the ultimate result. The 

 longest pole knocks the persimmon. The 

 plenary power of the United States Fish- 

 eries Commission ought to be fully re- 

 stored and the department of garfte prop- 

 agation should be placed under its juris- 

 diction. 



P. S. — Those who hope for betterment 

 in present conditions must note with 

 hearty satisfaction the spread ; of the 

 Huntington idea throughout the com- 

 munity all over the country. I might 

 point out to State game officers -the ex- 

 pediency of permitting the sale of game 

 for propagation, and that they: should 

 favor legislation permitting the sale of it 

 by breeders under State supervision as 

 food; and I would urge the Audubon 

 Society to favor the movement openly, 

 inasmuch as song birds are given a safe 

 refuge in the preserves as well as game. 



NOTES FROM THE GAME FARMS AND PRESERVES. 



Hybrid Game Birds and Wild Fowl. 



One of our Western members says he 

 recently shot a hybrid mallard pintail 

 and asks if we had records of this inter- 

 breeding. We have seen one mounted 

 specimen of this hybrid which is one of 

 the most frequent among wild hybrids. 

 Wild hybrids, however, are not common 

 but are regarded as rare. Frank Finn, 

 formerly deputy superintendent of the 

 Indian Museum, Calcutta, says wild hy- 

 brids are indeed rare, but they are of 



much more frequent occurrence than is 

 generally supposed. They are most num- 

 erous among the species of the grouse 

 family ; the cross between the black cock 

 and the capercailzie occurs every year, 

 and has even received a special name 

 (Rakkelhane), from Scandinavian 

 sportsmen. Many instances of crosses 

 between the black-cock and red grouse 

 have also been recorded, but curiously 

 enough the latter bird and the ptarmigan, 

 although so much more nearly related, 



