THE GAME BREEDER 



177 



he is accompanied by a trained dog that 

 locates the trapped animals. The cover 

 is lifted from the upright tile and the 

 rabbit captured by hand ; if it bolts from 

 the side opening it is caught by the dog. 

 A short pole fitted with a 5-inch wooden 

 disk may be inserted in the side opening 

 to prevent escape. 



These traps are especially suitable for 

 open lands and prairies, where rabbits 

 can not find many natural hiding places. 

 Built on waste land, they may become a 



permanent part of the farm equipment 

 and will cost nothing for repairs from 

 year to year. Their first cost may be 

 greatly reduced by use of second-grade 

 or even broken tiles. If one wishes to 

 poison rabbits, the baits may be placed 

 inside these traps and domestic animals 

 or birds will not be endangered. The 

 Walmsley trap also furnishes an excel- 

 lent means of obtaining rabbits for the 

 table or even for market without dam- 

 aging them by shooting. 



NOTES FROM THE GAME FARMS AND PRESERVES. 



An Interesting Quail. 



We would strongly advise all quail 

 breeders to give the Massena or Mearns 

 quail a trial. These birds surely will 

 bring excellent prices and since they are 

 reported to lie well to the dogs they will 

 undoubtedly be in great demand. In 

 appearance the birds resemble a little 

 brown guinea hen with white spots. The 

 birds still occur in New Mexico and 

 Arizona and they are plentiful in some 

 parts of Mexico. The Massena is the 

 name given the Mexican bird. The 

 Northern species found in the United 

 States was named the Mearns quail by 

 Dr. Nelson, chief of the Biological Sur- 

 vey. 



Quail Sales. 



There seems to.be no objection in 

 many states to the sale and shipping of 

 live quail and eggs for breeding pur- 

 poses. This is as it should be. 



The State Department, which endeav- 

 ors to hamper or stop the breeding of 

 game, will stand a good chance of being 

 abolished. The department which shows 

 a disposition to encourage game produc- 

 tion has a good excuse for its existence 

 and soon it can be made of great eco- 

 nomic importance as we have often re- 

 marked. 



Rabbits Do Their Bit. 



Salina, Kan., Jan. 4. — Practically 

 every town and county in Western Kan- 

 sas is having what is called a Red Cross 

 hunt this month. Rabbits are unusually 



plentiful throughout the West, and real 

 rabbit drives are being held, all of the 

 rabbits sold for shipment to the Eastern 

 States and the money is turned over to 

 the Red Cross fund. 



The other day a drive wa.> held near 

 Zurich, and more than 600 rabbits were 

 killed. They were sold at 8 cents each 

 for shipment to New York and other 

 Eastern points, where it is said they are 

 retailing at 75 cents each, while the jack- 

 rabbits are selling at $1. 



In the Zurich hunt people from all 

 the surrounding counties participated, 

 some coming as much as fifty miles, re- 

 garding it as their patriotic duty. 



Ringneck Pheasant in New Jersey. 



Several days ago I noticed an article in 

 the Rod and Gun by Chokes and Bores 

 of New Jersey giving his creed as to 

 conservation. 



I cannot pass up his remark that he 

 did not believe in stocking the State with 

 English pheasant. He gave no reason 

 for this, and therefore I take it he had 

 none. To my mind there is every, reason 

 in the world for continuing to stock 

 Northern Jersey with ringneck pheas- 

 ant. This part of the State abounds in 

 splendid pheasant cover and affords 

 plenty of natural food for the birds ex- 

 cept under the most unfavorable weather 

 conditions. In spite of the terribly se- 

 vere winter last year pheasants were 

 plentiful this fall. 



The only game bird of any numbers 

 now left in Northern Jersey is the ring- 



