Mat 16, 1896.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
393 
§Hnie §ng nnd §mu 
GAME BIRD IMPORTATIONS. 
MacoMB, 111,— Editor Forest and Stream: By your re- 
quest I will give you my experience with imported birds. 
In 1878 I imported four dozen of the California valley 
quail from Knight's Landing, on the Sacramento River, 
to this city. I put them all out on a farm near here and 
they laid and hatched out large broods, and could be seen 
almost any day in th« fields and roads all through the 
summer and fall up to the last of October, when every 
one disappeared, and never has one been seen in this 
county since. Evidently instinct taueht them that they 
could not stand the cold weather in this climate, and they 
emigrated to a more congenial clime. The next year 
after this a naturalist at the Smithsonian Institution at 
Washington was sent to Kansas to procure birds for the 
isetitution, and he came across the Calif ornia valley quail. 
He made his report that he never knew of any of the 
California quail being this side of the Rocky Mountains. 
I have always believed that these quail were mine, and 
they were hunting a warmer climate. 
In 1890 I imported some Mongolian pheasants from 
Linn county, Oregon, and turned -them loose on Camp 
Greek, some ten miles from here. They were seen sev- 
eral times after they were liberated, but at last they dis- 
appeared, and the next time I heard of them they were 
near Nauvoo, in Hancock county, some fifty miles from 
here. One of them fell a prey to the pot-hunter in that 
section. I think these were the first ones imported on 
this side of the Rocky Mountains. I gave a history of 
them in the Forest and Stream at the time, and in less 
than four weeks I received about 150 letters, from Maine 
to California, and as far south as Georgia, asking: "Where 
can I get the Mongolian pheasant?" These letters were 
from bankers, lawyers, real estate men, railroad men and 
the clergy. So you see the shotgun has quite a respect- 
able following. 
Mr. Simpson, in Warren county, this State, sent to Ore- 
gon and got two pairs. He raised twenty-five from them 
the first year and turned seven pairs loose. Now large 
'flocks can be seen most any day in the section where they 
were turned out. The game warden of Ohio raised 500 
i of these beautiful game birds, and it will only be a few 
years before the country from Maine to Colorado will be 
stocked with the Mongolian pheasant. They can stand 
any climate, and are doing well at Milton, Vt., and living 
on birch buds with the weather at 33° below zero. Such 
a game bird as this will carry joy to the hearts of all true 
sportsmen. 
In 1893 I imported five pairs of the black partridge 
(Francolinus vulgaris) from Calcutta, India. The Ameri- 
can consul, S. Merrill, got thesa birds for me. They were 
put into a small box about the size of a shoe box, with a 
small cup not as large as a teacup to hold water for them. 
Only three of them lived to reach here. The rest died 
before leaving London, probably for want of care and 
proper shipment. They were on the land and water fifty- 
seven days. I put the two males and female in a wire 
cage and the larger male soon killed the other. I kept 
the pair in a cage for two years and they stood the coldest 
weather all right and seemed to be perfectly contented 
till a large hawk flying near them frightened them so 
that the female broke her wing flying so hard against the 
cage. She died in a few days. The male only lived a 
few weeks after this. They are a fine game bird and will 
weigh 1 2oz. Th^y fly very much like a quail and are said 
to be a very fine table bird. They would live and thrive 
anywhere where our common quail would They are 
igood breeders, although mine never laid while I had her. 
|Th*>se birds were the first ones ever passed through 
I Europe, so Mr. Albert E. Jamrack, the greafr bird dealer 
Jin London, wrote me. He has since imported some for 
I Lord RuP8ell. They inhabit all parts of India from Kara- 
Ichi to Calcutta. 
In 1893 I imported five pairs of the Caccabia ehuckor 
■(chuokor partridge) from Karachi, India. I got them 
jchroueh James Currie, United States Consular Agent of 
Ithat city. They were on the land and water forty -seven 
Jdays. They arrived here in perfect condition and healthy. 
iThey were divided up here among our people a pair in a 
■place. They were confined in small coops and fed on dry 
Ifeed. Through the long, hot, dry summer all died hut 
lone pair. They seemed to waste away like a consumptive 
flperson. One pair fell into better hands, where they had 
fa larger coop and were fed on fish, worms and vegetables 
IThis hen laid eighty fine eggs during the summer, and 
jthey were put under bantams aud most all hatched. The 
Little chicks were shut up in coops and fed on common 
■domestic chicken food. They would all die by the time 
jthey were ten days old. At last I became convinced that 
tthese chicks must have their liberty and roam about 
■where they could get insect food. So I took a bantam 
■with a half a dozen chicks two days old and took them to 
■the field and turned them loose. In course of two months 
Ithe bantam came to^a farmhouse with her little family all 
■right. They roosted in the stable all winter with the dc- 
Imestic chickens. The coldest weather in the win- 
ner, when the mercury stood 28° below zero, they 
loould be seen on top of the stable. They remained 
Ion the farm till warm weather came in the spring, and 
■then left. One was killed during the summer some eight 
■miles from where they wintered. One was seen a few 
■months ago, and probably they are somewhere now if 
■they have not been kilted. They are a beautiful game 
■bird, and will weigh about 2£lbs. There is no question 
■but that these birds can be raised in any part of the 
■United States. They are strong and hardy. Col. Rums- 
fldale, of the Eaglish army, writes to me thit they will 
•stand any climate on the race of the globe. He says he 
■has shot them on the highest snow peaks of India and ia 
Ithe valleys on the burning sand. He recommends them 
■to the sportsmen of America. 
My object in importing so small a number of thesa 
■birds was to see if they could stand the cold climata 
Jof America. This question has been settled with- 
out doubt, and I hope the sportsmen of this country will 
take an interest in introducing these birds. The game 
warden of Maine is looking into this matter. These birds 
can be bought in Karachi for $1 a pair. The net cost of 
them here, the five pairs, was $52. The express charges 
from New York to this city were greater than the freight 
from Karachi to New York. I expect to import some 
more this coming winter so as to have them arrive here 
about the last of April, 1897, W. O. Blaisdell. 
A GOOSE HUNT IN ASSINIBOIA. 
Last spring I had a letter from my friend Arthur 
Hitchcock, of Moosejaw, N. W. T. He wanted me to use 
my influence in securing a position in the civil service for 
a friend, and by way of an incentive he added: "If you 
succeed I will promise you the best stand, a,nd to die: you 
the deepest and roundest of holes in the stubble when we 
go out in the fall for our annual goose hunt." Well, I 
succeeded, and I also promised to go on the hunt. 
Moosejiw is a thriving town on the main line of the 
Canadian Pacific Railway, about thirty miles west of 
Regnia, the capital of the Northwest Territories. Some 
twenty miles north of Moosejaw lies Buff do Lake, about 
twenty-five miles long and from one to two mil' s wide. 
When the annual autumn migration commences from the 
immense northern breeding grounds on the shores of Hud- 
son's Bav, the Yukon and the Arctic Circle, the geese drop 
into Buffalo Lake in large numbers, many remaining till 
driven out by the freezing over of the lake in the begin- 
ning of November. They find a very attractive feeding 
ground in the extensive wheat stubbles whi^h surround 
the lake and are very regular in their habits. At day- 
break they fly out from the lake and feed on the stubbles 
till 10 or 1 1 o'clock, when they return to the water, flying 
out again a couple of hours before sundown and return- 
ing to roost at dusk, so that those who are well acquainted 
with their habits can get three or four flights during the 
day. The most numerous kind when I was there seemed 
to be the huge Canada goose, but there were many other 
varieties. The Hutchins goose, which appears to be a 
smaller edition of the Canada, was very plentiful, while 
the bean goose, laughing and white-fronted and brant 
. all helped to swell the bag. 
But I am anticipating. Hitchcock had named the 7th 
of October as the date upon which we were to start. We 
were to have as companions Gen. Supt. Whyte, of the 
Western Division of the C. P. R , and Mr. James Ross, a 
multi-millionaire contractor from Montreal. The former 
is an old friend of mine. He is an ardent sportsman, an 
excellent shot and most genial of companions, and many 
a day have we spent in pursuit of the prairie grouse, mak- 
ing our excursions from his comfortable private car. All 
our preparations had bepn made when, as ill luck would 
have it, the president of the road chose that very week to 
come West on a tour of inspection, and our friend, the 
superintendent, had to wait upon him. Day after day 
passed, while Hitchcock kept wiring me to come on, as 
we were missing the best of the shooting. Finally it was 
Sunday, the 18 Ji of October, before the great man passed 
West to the coast, and ^ven then the superintendent had 
to accompany him to th« end of his division, and he could 
not get back before Monday. However, I waited no 
longer, and on Tuesday morning I reached Moosejaw, 
and my friend having everything in readiness we started 
at once for the lake, he regaling ine the while with tales 
of the excellent sport he had enjoyed on the days we had 
originaUy planned to be out. 
But in sport of all kinds I find that it generally turns 
out much as Alice describes in "Through the Looking- 
glass." "It's always jam yesterday and jam to-morrow, 
never jam to-day," and I am therefore rarely disappoint- 
ed when things do not eventuate entirely as we have 
anticipated. 
When we had gone about half way we missed a piece 
of baggage which had dropped from the buckboard. 
Turning to drive back for it I noticed a flock of geese on 
the horizon winging its way back to the lake for the 
noonday siesta. My friend accordingly drove back alone 
while I cast about to see how I should conceal myself 
from the approaching flight. Alas, the prairie was as 
level as a floor, and the short, closely cropped grass 
afforded no cover. I had no resource but to lay me down 
flat upon my back and remain motionless. But I weigh 
seventeen stone, and sarcastic friends aver that I am as 
tall lying down as when standing, and my too solid flesh 
would not be concealed. The leading flocks sheered off 
when they saw the unwonted object, but at last one 
string swung in behind me after passing. Hastily rising 
I fired into t^e fast receding flock and one bird came 
slowly down till he struck the ground a couple of hundred 
yards off, stone dead. As I turned from watching him I 
saw another fl>ck coming straight at me, and though 
they climbed into the air I had the satisfaction of seeing 
Wo huge Canada geese come whirling down in response 
to my salute. I fired several other long shots before the 
flight ceased, but without success. 'Still it was with con- 
siderable satisfaction that I swaggered back to the trail 
with three big geese over my shoulder. We reached our 
destination about 1 o'clock, and after dinner took posses- 
sion of the holes in the stubble field which had been pre- 
pared for us. They were some 25yds. apart and 4ft. deep, 
I urge enough to move round in comfortably, and with the 
earth left at one end to form a seat. The soil which had 
baen thrown out was carefully scattered, for your goose is 
a wily and sharp-sighted bird, and at once distinguishes 
aay alteration in the ground upon which he has been 
accustomed to feed. Midway between us, and a few yards 
ia front of the holes, a dozen tin decoys were set 
up, and we had a call which, although it emitted 
a sound unlike anything I ever heard made by a goose, 
still seemed to be very effective in turning birds in our 
direction when once they came in sight. Hitchcock was 
using a 12 -bore Greener and No. 6 shot, while I used my 
10-bore loaded with B. B. My experience, here recorded, 
u that with these large birds the small bores and charges 
are not in it. True, there are times when, as birds come 
unsuspectingly into the decoys, they can be used most 
eff actively, and I dare say earlier in the season, before the 
birds had been much shot at, they would have answered 
just as well; but while I was out I saw but few chances of 
chat kind, the majority of the shots being at a consider- 
able distance, and there the 10-bore did some wonderful 
execution. But we were not to get a chance of testing 
our weapons that afternoon. While we sat and waited I 
noticed an ominous cloud of smoke to our left, which 
shortly bore down before the wind in the shape of a well- 
daveloped prairie fire. We were in no danger, as the fire 
would not run on the short stubble; but the result was as 
might be anticipated. As soon as the geeae left the lake, 
and saw the green prairie over which they had been 
accustomed to fly turned into a blackened plain and the 
air filled with smoke, they ross high in the air and winged 
their way to some far distant fields. Evidently there was 
no "jam" for us that day, so as soon as the flight had 
passed over we pulled up stakes and drove off in the direc- 
tion the birds had taken. After traveling about ten miles 
we came to some stubble upon which geese were feeding 
in large numbers. As they were unapproachable we did 
not disturb them, and night impending, we turned into 
the farmhouse and made arrangements to stay there. 
The male members of the family were all away fighting 
the fire, i. e., plowing fire guards round their wheat 
stacks and hay ricks; but on their return, and after a sub- 
stantial tea had been disposed of, we got two of the sons 
of the house to eo out with a lantern and dig for us two 
holes in as near as they could define it the line of flight. 
Then we turned in, and like St. Paul in his shipwreck, 
we "wished for the day." 
_ The first glimmer of dawn saw us comfortably ensconced 
in our hides. Soon a scout, a single gtoohh, as usual flaw 
high over the fields, calling loudly. Then in the far dis- 
tance we could make out what seemed a dim blue cloud, 
which gradually became more defined till all could dis- 
tinguish the even, serried lines of a large string of geese 
heading in our direction. Even while we gazed another 
hove in sight, and still another, till as fsr as the eye could 
reach the air was filled with them. Unfortunately we 
were not quite in the beat line of flight and the first few 
flocks passed considerably to our left, hut at length one 
batch seemed taken with our decoys and call, and came 
straight over the counterfeits in front of us. In response 
to our four shots two birds fell. I was disgusted. We 
should have got a brace each, but as I watched a third 
pitched heavily out of the flock and a fourth looking very 
ill lagged far behind bis mates till they disappeared over 
the slope behind us. But there is no time to spend look- 
ing after flocks that have passed. Here come some more 
heading straight for our decoys and within a few yards of 
the ground. "Keep down and keep quiet," hisses my 
companion. I could hear my heart thump as they came 
closer and closer, till their legs dropped preparatory to 
lighting. "Now," said Hitchcock, and simultaneously 
we straightened up in our hides. Up towered the as- 
tonished birds, but it was too late, they were within 
deadly range even for the small bore, and four huge 
"honkers" came tumbling on to the stubble. I was for 
rushing out, but "Down, down; more behind." The cry 
was still they come. A flock of "laughing geese" came 
over pretty high, four shots rang out, but not a bird fell. 
"Confound it," I cried, "how could that have happened?" 
but as more were approaching I had to keep down. Hap- 
pening, however, to turn my head after the deoarting 
flock, I just caught sight of two birds tumbling out of the 
sky. So being, like the pig, "more aisv in my mind," I 
knocked a brace out of a flock of brant 80yds. to my right. 
My companion was not idle; for, although he could not 
kill the extraordinary long shots that my 10-bore 
would make now and again, yet any flock that came 
within reasonable range had to leave toll behind. And 
here I learned a lesson, viz , that it is possible to miss a 
goose! It seemed incredible sometimes h » v birds would 
escape that, had they been snipe, I am satisfied could not 
have got away from me. My explanation is that these 
birds are so large and fly with such an apparently slow, 
lazy flap of the wing that one can scarcely believe they 
are moving at the rate of eighty or ninety miles an hour. 
You can hardly bring yourself at first to make the allow- 
ance in front that you would to, say, a teal bustling by at 
the same pace, and therefore many a bird, hard hit, 
maybe, but too far back, will stick to the flock till it gets 
out of sight. Again, the siza of the bird makes them 
often appear much closer than they are in reality, and 
there is much deception in the early morning light. 
This flight lasted about three-quarters of an hour and 
was fast and furious. Then we got out of our hides and 
proceeded to count and gather the slain. We picked up 
thirty-one that we could see on the stubble round our 
hides. Then getting the retriever we hunted a radius of 
half a mile and picked up four others. We now enlarged 
our circuit to about a mile and found yet another four; 
and in the afternoon on our way to a different field we 
picked up one more, making a total of forty birds; and 
any one who has not seen that number of different kinds 
of geese laid out in rows can hardly imagine what a show 
they made. Oae other point impressed itself on me, viz., 
that with one exception every bird we picked up was 
stone dead, showing that as long as a spark of life is left 
these birds will struggle away. 
The farmer's boys now brought over the wagon from 
where they were stacking wheat and carted our birds 
back to the house, where we packed them in sacks and 
forwarded them into town on a passing wagon, to be dis- 
tributed among our friends. 
After breakfast we made preparations to catch the 
flight on its way back to the lake. But whether our 
shooting had scared them or from some other cause, no 
birds came back that way. We went out in the after- 
noon—having got fresh holes dug in what seemed more 
particularly the line of flight— and only got two birds out 
of a flock that came out very late, and the following 
morning we never got a shot at ail. We accordingly 
packed up our trap3 and returned to town. Mr. Whyte's 
car came in attached to the Eist bound express and we 
all went down to Ragnia, where we were switched off 
onto the Long Lake branch. At 8 o'clock that night our 
car was laid off at Lumsden, a small station near Long 
Lake. It was dark aa Erebus, and a gale was blowing 
from the northwest. H j re we met with a disappoint- 
ment. Knowing the difficulty we should have in getting 
vehicles in these country places, Col. HerchimHr, the 
commandant of the N. W. Mounted Police at Regnia, 
had kindly promised to send up one of the police teams 
with a wagonette. But there was no sign of it. It turned 
out that, having a fractious team, the driver had got off 
the trail in the darkness and had to camp out on the prai- 
rie, and he did not put in an appearance till next morn- 
ing. At length the station master hunted up for us a 
farmer with a rig which would hold four, and a young 
man who could carry one in his buckboard, and they knew 
of a stubble some five miles out where there were some 
holes that a party had been shooting out of last week. So 
at 4:30 we were called, and after a light meal we started. 
I went in the buckboard, my friend being a nice young 
fellow, son of a Presbyterian clergyman in the Orkneys. 
Wo lost the other vehicle shortly after we started, in the 
darkness, but we Kept on till at last, just as day was 
breaking, we blundered on to the stubbie we were seek- 
ing. Getting into a hole, I dispatched my companion to 
hunt up the wagon and guide them to the other end of 
the field, about half a mile away, where three holes had 
been dug. In a short time he found them, and in the 
dim dawn I could see them putting out the decoys 
and getting into their holes. But the geese came 
out with aBtrong gale behind them, and to our great dis- 
