GAME BIRDS SUITABLE FOR NATURALIZING 6 



A lesson has been drawn from such instances, and now the intro- 

 duction of practically all lands of exotic animals and plants that 

 may become pests is forbidden — an injunction enforced by adequate 

 inspection service. There is little fear, however, that any of the 

 large and highly edible species classed as game birds will continue 

 for any period as pests. Should they exhibit destructive tendencies 

 their numbers can easily be cut clown by extension of the open season 

 and increase in the bag limits. No bird that is widely prized for 

 food is ever likely to become destructively abundant in the United 

 States. 



Fear has been expresesd also that the introduction of foreign game 

 birds might carry with it the introduction of diseases that would 

 disastrously affect our native or domestic species. This is possible, 

 of course, but it does not seem an argument to which much weight 

 should be given, in view of the fact that domestic poultry is con- 

 stantly being introduced, abounds in all parts of the country, and 

 constitutes a source and reservoir of most of the diseases to which our 

 game birds are susceptible. In other words, the disease hazard is 

 scarcely likely to be notably increased by further introductions of 

 game birds. There should, of course, be proper inspection of im- 

 ported birds and exclusion or quarantine when found necessary. 



Depletion of the food supply for native birds also has been cited 

 as one possible bad effect of introducing additional species. The 

 food supply for game birds can be increased almost indefinitely, 

 however, if the effort be made. No introductions should be con- 

 sidered without prior attention to the food supply, and effectively 

 increasing it if necessary. 



SUCCESS IN NATURALIZING EXOTIC GAME BIRDS 



Almost innumerable unsuccessful attempts have been made to 

 introduce various exotic game birds, but these results condemn not 

 the whole project of game-bird introduction, but only those ill- 

 conceived and haphazard methods that have prevailed. Under these 

 methods many unsuccessful introductions have been made of the 

 same species that later or elsewhere have become established and 

 have thrived beyond expectation. Thus the birds with which great- 

 est success has been achieved may have appeared unsuitable on 

 numerous earlier trials, and there is no way in which the success of 

 a new introduction can be foretold. Methods can be improved, how- 

 ever, and it can be made certain that a desirable species has fair 

 trial before it is dropped from further consideration. 



Among the foreign game birds that have been naturalized in the 

 United States, the ring-necked pheasant (including Phasianus 

 colchicus torquatus and other subspecies and their hybrids) (fig. 1) 

 now has an almost continuous distribution over the Northern States 

 from coast to coast. (Fig. 2.) It has proved hardy as to climatic 

 conditions, wary as to enemies, and without doubt is more numerous 

 than any native game bird in the area occupied. The success of the 

 introduction of pheasants in the Northwestern States is well known, 

 but how amazingly the birds have thrived in certain other sections is 

 not generally appreciated. In South Dakota, according to the direc- 

 tor of the State Department of Game and Fish, pheasants increased 



