THE GAME BREEDER 



25 



prolific each year thereafter. During the 

 spawning period this fish ascends the 

 larger streams to the source and, as a 

 rule, congregate in some body of water 

 at its very head. If lakes are available 

 at the head of streams they will be found 

 there in large numbers. They pair and 

 go to the spawning beds. The male or 

 the female makes a depression in the 

 sand and gravel in the bed of the stream, 

 there deposits its eggs, covers them se- 



curely and then returns to the larger 

 streams. After the eggs are hatched the 

 youngster wiggles out through the sand 

 and gravel and lingers about the head 

 waters, thus keeping away from the 

 large fish. No doubt the sportsmen have 

 noticed that more small fish are caught 

 in the small streams. This is wholly due 

 to the fact that the small fish seeks shel- 

 ter in small bodies of water, which as a 

 rule the large fish does not inhabit. 



THE PRESERVATION OF RAILS, WOODCOCK, SNIPE 



AND OTHER WADERS. 



By The Editor. 



Woodcock and other wading birds serve it! Thousands of ducks also, 



and the rails cannot be hand-reared of migrate from the club preserves and 



course, but they respond nicely to the afford shooting on streams, bays and 



protection given to the wild fowl on other public waters. Nearly, if not quite 



many club grounds. I have seen thous- half of the ducks bred on The Game 



ands of rails and shore birds or waders Breeders' Association grounds on Long 



on many northern preserves where they Island, N. Y., migrated and I heard of 



were bred and where very few are shot some very good mallard shooting miles 



because the ducks which are plentiful away which, undoubtedly, was due to 



prove more attractive to the sportsmen, our breeding mallards in a place where 



One day when I was sketching beside there was no duck shooting before the 



a little pond on a preserve in Northern Association was created. Eggs from 



Ohio, many snipe, yellow legs, rails and this preserve were shipped to New Eng- 



other birds were feeding within a few land and ducks hatched from these eggs 



feet of the place where I was seated, have since produced many eggs which 



Upon another occasion, when I was have been shipped all over the country 



shooting ducks on a preserve in Northern as far West as California. No one was 



Indiana, I decided to give part of a day damaged. Many have been benefited, 



to the snipe and made a big bag in a Every trap shooting club should rent 



very few hours shooting. The rails often the shooting on a few posted farms and 



ran about before my duck blind and a have some good game shooting. The 



friend, who gave an afternoon to rail Wyandanch Club, described in this issue, 



shooting, easily bagged nearly an hun- has grown into an attractive country 



dred birds. There were many thousands club and now has a splendid preserve 



of rails. Since the snipe, rails and wood- quite near New York, where thousands 



cock migrate they furnish shooting for of pheasants, ducks and quail will be shot 



many guns. Were* the marshes not pre- this fall. It formerly was the Brooklyn 



served there would be no place for these Gun Club. The trap shooting is far more 



birds to breed. There seems to be no interesting when it is conducted on 



objection to the draining of the marshes ground where game will be shot later. 



and sloughs for agriculture, which, of All of the game clubs have traps and 



course, puts an end to the breeding of the members enjoy practising at the in- 



thousands of these migrants. How animate targets. Some of the game clubs 



absurd it is for sportsmen to object to arrange with a country hotel for their 



the activities of those who prevent the quarters and have very small annual 



draining of such good ground and pre- dues. 



