36 



BULLETIN 1049, L T . S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sections where many birds were liberated a few years ago. For 

 example, the State of New Jersey, which purchased partridges lib- 

 erally for several years, ceased the distribution in 1912. Four years 

 later investigation shoAved a total of 45 coveys with about 490 birds 

 in the State, while in 1918 the number had decreased to 23 coveys 

 with a total of 115 birds. 



Pheasants.— For 40 years pheasants have been imported and lib- 

 erated in varying numbers in many parts of the country. The 

 success of the introduction of the so-called ring-necked pheasant, first 

 imported in Oregon in 1887 and 1888, and the success with English 

 and ring-necked pheasants in the Genesee Valle}^ N. Y., and in some 

 sections of Massachusetts, encouraged other States to undertake 

 similar experiments. Pheasants and pheasant eggs were imported 

 in considerable numbers from Europe, chiefly from- England, and in 

 recent j^ears from several points in Ontario, but with the beginning 

 of the war these shipments rapidly diminished and comparatively 

 few birds have been brought in since. Notwithstanding the suspen- 

 sion of importations, there are more pheasants in the United States 

 now than ever before, and nearly all are the product of stock raised 

 in the United States. In many places the bird has become well 

 established and in a few States sufficiently abundant to permit an 

 open season for a limited period in the autumn, notably in Massachu- 

 setts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wash- 

 ington, and formerly in Oregon. 



The following table shows the importations of the principal upland 

 game birds from 1906 to 1915, inclusive : 



Importation of principal upland game birds, 1906 to 1915. 

 [Fiscal years ending- June 30.] 



Year. 



Quail.i 



2,896 

 1,428 

 649 

 868 

 1,379 

 3,110 



Hungarian 

 partridges. 



864 

 3,075 

 7,781 

 29, 832 

 18,932 

 36,507 



Pheasants. 



1,151 

 4,970 

 4,420 



2 2,268 

 9,496 



13,398 



Year. 



Quail. 



Hungarian 

 partridges. 



Pheasant?. 



1906 



1912 



7,570 

 2,936 



23, 181 



15,412 

 9,417 

 4,148 



15 841 



1907 



1913 



10, 283 



36, 760 



7,080 



1908 



1914 



1909 



1915 



3,341 





Total.... 





1911 



24,177 



174,295 



80,521 





1 Importation of quail from Mexico began in 1910 and the figures in the above table refer mainly to Mexican 

 birds. ~ The number imported in 1916 was 8,000; in 1917, 32,814; in 1918, 5,205; in 1919, 4,358; in 1920, 23,473; 

 and in 1921, 22,209. In all, about 115,000 Mexican quail have been imported in 11 years. 



1 1,100 aviary pheasants. 



KESTOCKING WITH DEEE. 



Deer increase so rapidly when given adequate protection that there 

 has been comparatively little necessity for general restocking except 

 in a few places. Two of the experiments thus far made, in New 

 Jersey and Vermont, have met with such success as to attract wide- 

 spread attention. 



