6 



THE GAME BREEDER 



mention the matter (and there are a 

 great many), has called it an outrage, 

 just as every one said, "outrage," when 

 citizens who brought their quail home 

 from the South were raided by the same 

 force. 



An Excellent Commissioner. 



Fortunately New York has an excel- 

 lent State Game Officer. Mr. Pratt 

 promptly conceded that the papers were 

 right in denouncing the arrest of Sports- 

 men returning home with their game. 

 He, no doubt, will at once see the ab- 

 surdity. of permitting every one to ab- 

 solutely destroy hundreds of birds every 

 season and of arresting reputable pro- 

 ducers when they take a few birds alive 

 for propagation. 



The dignity (possibly we should say 

 indignity) of the law will be well pre- 

 served by a fine of 50 cents; 25 cents 

 would seem even better, if any attempt 

 is ever made to collect a fine. The case 

 is important since it should result in an 

 amendment to the laws permitting and 

 encouraging food production on the 

 farms, with at least as much freedom as 

 there is in all civilized countries, except- 

 ing in America. 



A Successful Meeting. 



The Annual Conference on Game 

 Breeding, at the Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., 

 was interesting and successful. A num- 

 ber of interesting papers were read: 

 One of the most interesting was one by 

 Mac Vicar in which the French system 

 of partridge rearing was referred to. 



Mr. F. C. Walcott made the opening 

 address. Duncan Dunn, Superintendent 

 of the New York Jersey State Game 

 Farm, made a report on pheasant breed- 

 ing. 



Mr. E. A. Quarles described pheasant 

 breeding at the New Jersey and New 

 York State farms. His remarks were 

 illustrated with moving pictures. 



Mr. E. A. Mcllhenny told "How to 

 Distinguish the Pure Bred Mallard." 

 Hon. J. B. Harkin described Conserva- 

 tion work in Canada's Great National 

 Parks. 



Braddford Scudder spoke on the Prac- 



tical Application of the Science of Con- 

 servation to Large Estates. Dr. A. K. 

 Fisher discussed. The Relation of Rap- 

 torial Birds to Game. Other speakers 

 were Dr.' John C. Phillips, who described 

 the methods of the dispersal of Hand- 

 reared Quail. Robert Sterling Yard 

 who spoke of the Protection of Game in 

 our National Parks ; E. C. Henshaw 

 who discussed Efficiency in the Ad- 

 ministration of Game Laws. 



The dinner in the evening was good, of 

 course. No bad dinners are served at 

 the Waldorf. The pictures by Mcll- 

 henny and Finley were wonderful and 

 delighted the diners. 



Why the Oyster Escaped. 



The Times, Boonsboro, Md., citing a 

 "ringing appeal" of the Conservation 

 Commission, says : 



The oyster is stationary. If it moved from 

 State to State, Uncle Sam would have long 

 ago extended his strong right arm to save the 

 oyster. The same is true of terrapin. Its 

 home is local. It does not wander beyond 

 State lines. Hence its lack of strong protec- 

 tion. Hence, also its partial destruction. 



The people who enjoy eating oysters 

 well may give thanks ! How fortunate 

 it is that it is "stationary!" See the ar- 

 ticles about non-stationary wild ducks 

 in England and Holland in this issue. 

 Wild ducks are as cheap as oysters in 

 all the markets of the civilized world ex- 

 cepting in America. More laws, fewer 

 game birds ! 



Quail for Anne Arundel. 



Within the next few weeks 600 birds 

 that cost Anne Arundel county $2 apiece 

 will be liberated in various sections of 

 the country with a view to increasing 

 the number of wild fowl. The birds 

 are known as "Mexican Boby Whites," 

 and are the first of a number to be pur- 

 chased by the county out of funds ob- 

 tained from the gunners' licenses issued 

 last year. The year was a record-break- 

 er for the county in that respect and 

 after appropriating about $1,200 for the 

 first consignment of birds the county had 

 nearly $2,000 remaining of the license 

 fund. A bill passed by the legislature 

 of 1916 makes possible the use of the 



