THE GAME BREEDER ^ 173 



vation, says : "Numbers of old as well as Losses Due to Irrigation and Fires. 

 young birds get killed or mutilated dur- in regions where fields are flooded 



ing the hay cutting, and I lose hundreds from irrigation ditches the losses of nests 



of birds during this fortnight. The young and eggs often must be large. Readers 



ones that escape also receive a check in of The Game Breeder will remember the 



being deprived of their food in the grass case of Miss Rahlman, of California, 



fields. There is, in my opinion, far more who gathered a lot of quail eggs in irri- 



food there than in the corn." He says gated fields when the birds were forced 



he "gets the farmers to leave the last to desert their nests and hatched them 



acre, and the keepers cut it with scythes successfully. The proper remedy, of 



early the next morning. It is very neces- course, where quail are reared in places 



sary to have keepers in the fields whilst where the fields are irrigated is to induce 



they are being cut." them to nest in fields which are made 



= especially attractive by planting an abun- 



Climate Losses and Their Prevention, dance of food and covers. The eggs from 



The worst losses due to climate occur nests in- irrigated fields should be gath- 



when the birds are quite young and again ered and hatched under bantams or in 



in the winter when the snows are deep incubators. The old birds also should be 



and the mercury is low. Cold rains and trapped whenever possible and removed 



hail storms at and just after the hatch- to attractive fields where they can be 



ing time are disastrous, but where there held in wire enclosures until the nesting 



are good covers, briar patches, bushes season arrives. If the field be made es- 



and trees the young quails will survive a pecially attractive they no doubt can be 



storm much better than they can be ex- induced to nest in safe places where there 



pected to in places where there are no are plenty of berry briars to protect 



good covers. Small evergreen trees and them from vermin and plenty of food of 



low branching scrub oaks and many various kinds. 



other desirable covers can well be pre- Quail often are inclined to nest in 

 served for the birds where such covers lowlands and near streams which are- 

 occur or they can be introduced in places subject to overflow. Many nests are de- 

 which need cover. Some shelters easily stroyed by water in such places. The 

 can be made in briar patches by placing birds can be induced to nest elsewhere 

 some brush or bushes on the briars. Corn by destroying the cover on the danger- 

 shocks left standing or especially put up ous ground or they can be trapped and 

 make splendid shelters. They should be held on safe and attractive ground, to- 

 loosely constructed with several openings be liberated at the nesting time, 

 so that if an enemy should come in at In the prairie States many grouse and 

 one side the birds easily can run out at quail nests are destroyed by prairie fires 

 the other. - and by fires which are set by those who 



In severe winters the keeper should wish to burn their fields. The remedy, 



feed his birds abundantly at regular of course, is to prevent the prairie fires 



feeding places, preferably in or near and to induce the land owners to stop 



briar patches, and when a heavy srtow burning in the spring. When it is made 



falls and an ice crust forms a snow plow worth while for the land owners to have 



is run across the fields on some pre- game on their lands or to permit game 



serves and the birds are found and lib- breeding many of the losses, which often 



erated near the feeding places. are tremendous, can be entirely pre- 



Many birds often come to the barn vented, 

 yards on farms and these usually suffer I am inclined to believe many eggs are 



no losses in the winter. I have known saved when the nests are made, as often 



of the birds being trapped in exposed they are, under the lower rail of rail 



situations and held with clipped wings in fences, and the careful quail preserver 



a barn until the severe winter weather might well attempt to induce some of 



was over. his birds to nest under shelters where 



