THE GAME BREEDER 



191 



tractive also to preserve owners because 

 a mixed bag is desirable. 



We would strongly advise California 

 members of the Game Conservation So- 

 ciety to deal in the cinnamon teal and 

 there should be no objection to the in- 

 dustry because the California laws do 

 not permit the shooting of the teal when 

 any are on hand to be shot. 



COMMERCIAL MALLARDS. 



M. E. A. Mcllhenny refers to the 

 important fact that most of the so-called 

 mallards seen on game farms and pre- 

 serves are not true wild mallards and do 

 not even resemble them closely. They 

 are as he says all mixed up with Rouens 

 English calls and other tame species. 

 The writer referred to this fact some 

 years ago and said, in "Our Wild Fowl 

 and Waders," the one who has a flock of 

 true wild mallards has a very valuable 

 property. 



BREEDING OTHER SPECIES. 



Another good point made by Mr. Mc- 

 llhenny is that the breeders should give 

 more attention to teal and the other 

 choice species which are excellent for 

 sport and on the table. We regard the 

 blue winged teal as the best water fowl 

 in the world for the table, barring none 

 not even the far-famed canvasback. We 

 believe the teal will sell for splendid 

 prices in the markets after we have made 

 teal eating fashionable as the Game Eat- 

 ing Department of the Game Conserva- 

 tion Society soon will make it. A pond 

 full of gadwalls, widgeons, cinnamon 

 teal or any of the desirable food birds 

 would add tremendously to the value of 

 any country place and be a great source 

 of pleasure for the owner. 



We would advise our readers to go 

 in for teal breeding and the breeding of 

 the other ducks and geese mentioned in 

 this issue. It really is no great stunt 

 to have a pond full of half-bred mallards. 



Breeders should begin with birds al- 

 ready breeding in confinement or with 

 eggs if they expect to have success the 

 first season. 



PERSISTENT BIRDS AND "FOOL 

 LAWS." 



It would appear from the excellent 

 papers on breeding wild fowl, published 

 in this issue, that most if not all species 

 will persist in laying, if the first clutch; 

 of eggs laid be destroyed or removed^ 

 This is the rule with nearly if not all 

 upland game birds also. The breeders of 

 both the true game birds of the upland, 

 and of wild fowl, should have the right 

 to take the first eggs laid and to hatch 

 them under hens, or even to sell them, 

 since usually the birds will lay again.. 

 As a matter of fact most breeders pre- 

 sume they have the right to lift the eggs 

 of their grouse, quail and turkeys as well 

 as the eggs of their wild fowl and no< 

 one nowadays seems to object. Many 

 breeders also trap and handle their quail 

 and do not care to have game wardens 

 interfere with their industry. There has 

 been a decided "revival of common 

 sense" since this important matter was 

 first referred to in The Game Breeder, 

 and many "fool laws" which prevented 

 the multiplication of game have passed 

 into a state of "innocuous desuetude" ; 

 often they are forgotten and remain un- 

 executed. It is best to have them wiped 

 out on the books, however, since now 

 and then a fool game warden may break- 

 loose and arrest a game breeder provide 

 he does not belong to a grange. This 

 would not be considered good politics. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Editor Game Breeder : 



Our association is with you, in your 

 highly practical solution of the conserva- 

 tion of game question — to a finish. 



National Sportsmen's Association. 

 Allen S. Williams, Director. 



Game and the Farmer. 



The Game Breeder : 



Enclosed find subscription. I am op- 

 posed to the motto, "protect the game 

 by laws so we can shoot it." Upland 

 game never can be made plentiful in the 

 United States unless the farmers make 

 it so. They hold the key to the situation. 

 As soon as it will pay they will attend to 



