THE GAME BREEDER 



19 



caution. I get my farmers to leave the 

 last acre, and the keepers cut it with 

 scythes early the next morning; but if 

 the night is hot or cold, and the old 

 birds have not come back, many of the 

 little ones die. It is very necessary to 

 have keepers in the fields whilst they are 

 being cut. Of course, if the farmers 

 could be persuaded to begin cutting in 

 the middle of the field and work out- 

 wards all would be well, as the old birds 

 would gradually lead the young ones to 

 the outside ; but I have been quite unable 

 to persuade my farmers to do this. Num- 

 bers of old as well as young birds get 

 killed or mutilated during the hay-cut- 

 ting, and altogether I lose hundreds of 

 birds during this fortnight."* 



To a certain extent I believe quail can 

 be induced to nest in safe places. Un- 

 doubtedly they like to nest beside an old 

 stump or log overgrown with grass and 

 briars, especially if there be a post or 

 small tree near at hand where the cod; 

 bird can perch and whistle to his mate. 

 I believe it would pay to make some at- 

 tractive nesting sites on the lines sug- 

 gested in the center and at the sides of 

 fields of grain and grass, and if a few 

 blackberry briars or other berry bearing 

 briars be planted the place would be es- 

 pecially attractive and might well be se- 

 lected as a nesting site. The experiment 

 would not be expensive and I hope soon 

 to give it a trial. 



When a nest is located in the grass or 

 grain the cover about it should be left 

 standing and the farmer should be com- 

 pensated of course. 



Some birds are killed by flying against 

 telegraph wires and wire fences, espe- 

 cially where the wires are numerous, but 

 such losses are comparatively slight. I 

 have known many wild fowl to be killed 

 by wires stretched across a marsh and 

 woodcock, which fly by night, are more 

 often killed by wires than quail are. 



The only way to prevent such destruc- 

 tion is to decorate the wires with strips 

 of cloth or other material to indicate 

 their presence at dangerous points where 

 losses are known to occur or to change 

 the character of the fence. 



*Partridges and Partridge Manors 



The old-fashioned rail fences are by 

 far the best for the quail preserve, since 

 the birds will find their many angles 

 filled with briars and weeds which afford 

 both food and shelter; often nests are 

 built in safe places beside such fences. 



While I was writing this article two 

 game keepers came in to see me and I 

 asked them if they had known of losses 

 due to wires. Both said they had suffered 

 such losses and one of them said he 

 picked up a quail quite recently which 

 had been killed by a wire fence. The 

 other said when partridges were alarmed 

 suddenly at night they sometimes flew 

 against both telegraph wires and wire 

 fences. Both agreed, however, that the 

 losses due to vermin, to climate and to 

 farm machinery were far greater than 

 those due to wires. 



In concluding this series of papers 

 about the various checks to the increase 

 of the quails I wish again for emphasis 

 to invite the reader's attention to the 

 fact that the birds tendency to increase 

 is marvellous. Darwin tells us that, 

 "Grouse, if not destroyed at some period 

 of their lives, would increase in count- 

 less numbers." The same is true of 

 quails or partridges. If some of the 

 many losses be stopped, or if all of them 

 be checked, even partially, the quail soon 

 can be made abundant in every likely 

 field and big numbers can be safely shot 

 every season. 



Restrictive game laws have no effect 

 on vermin, climate, or farm machinery. 

 When they prohibit shooting they do a 

 lot of harm in places where the quail 

 might be looked after and made plenti- 

 ful, since no one can be expected to do 

 anything which does not pay. It is not 

 worth while to look after the quail in 

 States where shooting is prohibited ; it 

 is not worth while to look after them 

 in States where only a few can be shot 

 in a season. While such legislation is 

 well intended, there are evident reasons 

 why it does not produce good results, 

 and the breeders of quail should be ex- 

 cepted from restrictions and encouraged 

 to look after thtir game and keep it 

 plentiful. 



