THE GAME BREEDER 199 



It can not be denied that the wild soon went to seven dollars per pair and 

 mallards quickly deteriorate when kept $4 each for extra hens and later to $8 

 in barnyards and reared as domesticated per pair. Anyone who has pheasants 

 ducks. The trim and alert appearance to sell, easily can dispose of every bird 

 of the thoroughbred soon gives way to a The supply appears to have been ex- 

 portly figure and slouchy gait of the hausted. 



common greenhead of the barnyard. Some of the large breeders are hold- 

 Soon the birds become too heavy to fly ing four or five hundred hens and even 

 high and fast, and in some cases they more for the next breeding season. Re- 

 appear to have entirely lost their ability ports coming to The Game Breeder from 

 to fly. our larger advertisers indicate that they 



Mallards reared on farms often have have already sold thousands of eggs at 



opportunities to consort with other spe- $25 per hundred and we predict every 



cies of domesticated ducks, either ducks Qgg offered will be sold, 



on the home farm or tame ducks whose A Western dealer wrote : "Why should 



acquaintance they may form when they I advertise when the orders coming indi- 



make excursions to the duck ponds on cate that I will sell everything without 



neighboring farms. advertising?" 



Birds which are bred for sport should There are two good answers to the 



be kept strong on the wing. This can question. 



be done by feeding them at somewhat (1) The Game Breeder is largely re- 

 distant points and inducing them to fly sponsible for the excellent situation in 

 to the feeding places. The wilder the the game market and it should be sup- 

 birds can be kept the better. A few ported by those who are making money 

 birds may be lost but the loss often will rapidly. 



be offset by migratory visitors. It is (2) It is an excellent plan to keep in 



certainly better to lose a few birds than touch with the hundreds of clubs and 



to have the entire flock become domesti- preserve owners who are associated with 



cated and unable to fly. The pedigree the Game Conservation Society. Many 



of wild ducks may be all right, but the of them observe and approve the good 



ducks may be all wrong on account of work of The Game Breeder carried on 



the deterioration due to the quiet life of under many difficulties and they will be 



domestication. The trim and alert hu- inclined to deal with those who have 



man athlete easily and quickly may be- helped the cause and who are helping to 



come an overfed, portly individual with keep the business good. 



no sign of the athlete remaining. The « 



amateur owner of ducks, therefore. Editor Game Breeder: 



should not rely upon the pedigree of his vVhy not put the clay pigeon on the 



game. He should always be on the look- song-bird list ? Possibly the pursuit of 



out for deterioration and guard against this bird, also, may be found to lead to 



It. Where it appears evident that any "drunkenness, idleness and politics," by 



of the ducks have been consorting with those who are opposed to all forms of 



tame fowl and the evidence appears in sport 



the plumage or carriage of the young Qhio. Sport A. Field. 



birds, such spurious fowl should be sent , 



promptly to the table or to the market. 



For sporting purposes birds should be ^^^ h-XPERiENCE. 



strong and fast on the wing. Mrs. Henpeck — Is there any differ- 



• ence, Theodore, do you know, between a 



PHEASANTS. fort and a fortress? 



The pheasants, ring necks, dark necks , Mr. Henepeck-I should imagine a 



and the many crosses between these fortress, my love, would be harder to 



birds have been selling at fabulous prices, ^'l^nce !— Lon don Opmio n. 



A few months ago pheasants could be * ' 



bought for $5 and $6 per pair. They More Game and Fewer Game Laws. 



