74 



THE GAME BREEDER 



which they need advice. To give such 

 aid we carry on a large correspondence, 

 and are glad to answer all inquiries. I 

 am also undertaking to make personal in- 

 spections of estates and preserves, to 

 make suggestions or to lay out new plans. 

 A large number of such inspections have 

 been made, both of small estates and of 

 large or public enterprises. Of the lat- 

 ter type was a recent inspection of the 

 Harriman estates and the State Park, at 

 Arden, N. Y. On this tract of over 

 thirty thousand acres^, including many 

 lakes, a plan was arranged, and is under 

 way, of breeding wild ducks for libera- 

 tion and at the same time stocking the 

 lakes with natural food plants attractive 

 to ducks, to the end of holding them and 

 establishing their breeding in the wild 

 state. Certain city parks, such as the 

 park system at Wilmington, Del., have 

 been inspected with reference to a system 

 for attracting small birds for the pleas- 

 ure and instruction of the public. Small 

 land-holders are also encouraged to 

 make their property attractive to birds 

 or game. Farmers are shown how they 

 can produce game-birds or water-fowl 

 for table or for market, and land-owners 

 in general are encouraged to feed, at- 

 tract, and protect insectivorous and game 

 species, both as an aid to agriculture and 

 for their own enjoyment. 



Another method has been to secure for 

 estates and preserves a competent game- 

 breeder or manager, to work out plans in 

 co-operation with this Department. Fol- 

 lowing are instances of such work. On 

 the estate of U. S. Senator George P. 

 McLean, Simsbury, Conn., the breeding 

 of quail and ruffed grouse have been 

 carried out with good results, in charge 

 of Amos E. George, game-keeper. An- 

 other case is of the Bridgeport, Conn., 

 Hydraulic Company, for which the De- 

 partment secured the employment of 

 Ludwig Seidler on the Reservoir 

 grounds, where he has made a brilliant 

 success of quail raising, on a plan simi- 

 lar to that for pheasants, with modifi- 

 cations. Still another is the breeding of 

 quail and canvasback on the estate of 

 WiUiam Rockefeller, Tarrytown, N. Y.. 

 under Arthur M. Barnes, who 'was- al- 

 ready in charge there. 



Lecture work is constantly maintained 

 by the Department, to interest and in- 

 strtict the pubhc. To provide fresh il- 

 lustrative material, I have already photo- 

 graphed seven reels of motion pictures, 

 covering the subjects of wild ducks and 

 geese on. the Louisiana Refuges in win- 

 ter, game propagation, attracting birds, 

 the great breeding colonies of water- 

 birds, and the home life of our common 

 birds. Some of these have been shown 

 in theatres over the country. 



Scientific experimentation, with prac- 

 tical ends in view, is" being carried on. 

 Such efforts have already resulted in the 

 breeding of the canvasback in captivity. 

 During the past summer a new and suc- 

 cessful experiment has been carried out 

 in' northern Canada in rearing young 

 canvasbacks, redheads, scaups, and gold- 

 en-eyes or "whistlers," under a new 

 method of feeding and management. By 

 this plan the young have matured in 

 splendid condition, with almost no loss. 

 Apparently these methods will solve the 

 problem of rearing the young of most 

 of the species more difficult to handle. 



In order to carry on experimental and 

 demonstration work in the various 

 branches of applied ornithology under 

 our own immediate supervision, concen- 

 trated in one locality, and easily acces- 

 sible to the pubhc, the Department is now 

 establishing an Experiment Station of 

 The National Association of Audubon 

 Societies. This is at Amston, Connecti- 

 cut, on the Air Line Division, between 

 New Haven and Willimantic. ten miles 

 from the latter, and within easy walking 

 distance of the railway station. Mr. 

 Charles M. Ams, well-known as "the 

 man who bought a town," who owns the 

 village and surrounding region, and is a 

 Life Member of this Association, has 

 signed a contract giving to the Associa- 

 tion the use of this great property for 

 the above purpose. 



Included in the tract is a beautiful 

 lake entirely owned by Mr. Ams, which 

 is said to have a shore-line of nine miles. 

 This overflows through a swampy pond, 

 sending down constant supplies of small 

 fish and other natural food, the most 

 ideal place for the propagation of wild 



