sistent and methodical care of the various coveys 
during the rest of the winter. 
“This methodical, attendance is absolutely nec¬ 
essary, we believe, to get the best results. We 
found that in the middle of the winter it was 
necessary that the feed be replenished once a 
week at least. Everything feeds then—blue jays, 
sparrows, kinglets, chickadees, squirrels and 
mice. Crows take some feed, but they are rather 
shy of the closed-up appearance of things. Blue 
jays are a pest, as they carry off more grain 
than they eat. We could find no way, however, 
to stop their thieving and we had to make good 
the loss. 
“The feed we used is what is sold at the poul¬ 
try stores as ‘scratching food.’ It is composed 
of a number of grains and seeds of small size 
and seemed to fill the needs of the case very 
nicely. 
“The second day after liberating we visited 
every feeding box and found that one-half of the 
coveys were using the shelter and food provided, 
the rest were scattered. We found them, how¬ 
ever, close by in every instance and we tolled 
them all back to the feed by laying a line of hay 
chaff on top of the snow from the feed to the 
place where we found them. We also sprinkled 
a little grain in the chaff. This plan worked 
splendidly, and when we again visited the birds 
we found that they had^all followed the line of 
chaff and were all using the feed. We had no 
more trouble on this account, as when the quail 
once got the grain fairly located they visited it 
regularly thereafter. 
“We found it of advantage to clear away the 
snow after a heavy fall so the sun would melt a 
bare place. The birds seemed to like to get on 
this little bare ground and sun themselves. We 
often saw them do so. 
“We placed all the boxes so that they would 
have a sunny exposure, and we looked for spots 
where the snow did not naturally lie as deep as it 
did in others. The south side of a thick pine 
tree was as good as any, particularly if the tree 
grew on the south bank of a hill. We also tried 
to get the feeding boxes near ‘quick cover’ like a 
thick swamp or a brushy hillside, so the birds 
could come and go without exposing themselves 
very much, and a cover they could drop into 
quickly in case an enemy got after them at the 
feed. 
“We liked to have the box near water also, 
but this we do not think is so essential as some 
of the other things. 
We think the best way to liberate is to provide 
as many boxes with cloth top and drop trap door 
as there are to be coveys. Transfer the birds 
from the shipping crate according to number 
wanted. Place the liberating box on the ground 
with the trap door under the edge of the roof of 
the feeding box; put a few branches over the 
whole so the quail will not fly as soon as they 
leave the box; quietly drop the trap door and 
step quickly away. It is better if the birds come 
out when no one is in sight; they are more quiet 
then and will notice the feed, which is what is 
wanted. If the liberating box is wanted for use 
again it can be secured the following day. There 
is no harm, then if the covey is flushed; they 
have had a chance to locate the feed and will re¬ 
turn to it again. 
“In attending to the birds we bought we also 
FOREST AND STREAM 
fed a number of native coveys. The native quail 
did the best. They were stronger and also more 
wary. Practically all the natives lived after they 
found the feed. We used lines of chaff to toll 
these to the feed, the same as for the others. I 
have in mind one covey of eleven quail that we 
got to feeding the middle of January, 1905, that 
apparently came through intact. 
“We began to look for the native coveys with 
a view of feeding them on the first light snows, 
and we found three coveys. Two other native 
coveys we found after the snows got deep and 
forced them into the highway. They were then 
seen and reported, and we easily got them to 
feed; they were so hungry they met our efforts 
more than half way. 
“Our experience, so far, leads us to believe 
that quail will stand any amount of cold if they 
can get something to eat, as pointed out in a 
He Hustles for Himself. 
former sketch which was published in your issue 
of October 15, 1904; also, that they can success¬ 
fully be led to feeding places by a little study and 
perseverance. 
“The food should be placed in a sheltered loca¬ 
tion where it will not be covered up with snow 
or washed away by rains; it needs to be replen¬ 
ished at times. When the snow is deep all over 
the country more grain is required than at any 
other time.” 
CYRUS A. TAFT. 
FOR GAME REFORM. 
Fairfield County (Conn.) Association meets at 
annual dinner and many ideas and suggestions 
are brought forward. 
The purification of the Connecticut and Housa- 
tonic rivers, the need of a state protective asso¬ 
ciation, the demand for fairness at the hands of 
country justices or the issue of bench warrants 
direct by state prosecuting attorneys and the stim¬ 
ulation of a favorable sentiment, were some of 
the reforms advocated by different speakers at 
271 
the recent annual dinner of the Fairfield County 
Fish and Game Protective Association No. 1 at 
Bridgeport, Conn. 
Attention was directed by State Superintendent 
John M. Crampton to the condition of the lobster 
fisheries, saying that much greater income might 
be obtained from lobsters in the state if fisheries 
could be made to stop poaching the young from 
the waters. He also called attention to the fact 
that with the purification of the Connecticut and 
Housatonic rivers millions of dollars could be se¬ 
cured from shad. He said the Connecticut river 
was so polluted that a bullhead could hardly live 
in it, and cited the action of Pittsfield in making 
the waters of its river 98 7-10 pure where here¬ 
tofore a cow could not drink from it. Although 
it had been stated by U. S. Senator McLean that 
there are not 5,000 grouse in Connecticut, Supt. 
Crampton thought that there were at least 500,000 
killed this year. 
John C. Chamberlain told of his efforts to raise 
pheasants, quail, duck and partridge and implied 
that the commission was wasting time and energy 
in attempting to propagate and increase Hunga¬ 
rian partridge, which epidemics ravaged. He 
recommended the introduction of Willow and 
Blue grouse from the state of Washington, which 
were not only good birds for the sportsman but 
easy to raise and extremely succulent as food. 
He was replied to by Supt. Crampton, who did 
not share his beliefs. 
CHILDREN SUCCOR BIRDS—FOOD FUR¬ 
NISHED FOR STARVING FLOCKS BY 
AUDUBON AGENTS. 
New York, Feb. 19. 
Spurred by telegraphic orders from New York 
City, over a hundred thousand boys and girls, in 
every state that was struck by the recent blizzard, 
have to-day started out over the snow to succor 
the legions of stormbound birds that are starving 
to death. As junior members of the National 
Association of Audubon Societies, these young 
volunteers will scour the woods and fields, dis¬ 
tributing quantities of grain, suet and fat meat, 
which the Audubon association here has wired 
to have bought by its agents in every section. 
Day and night since the storm has deprived the 
bird flocks of food, T. Gilbert Pearson, who is 
in charge of Audubon headquarters here, has 
kept the wires hot from Maine to Virginia and 
out to Minnesota authorizing emergency ex¬ 
penditures for bird food and pushing his forces 
at their relief work. 
Murderous weather conditions are now driving 
to death huge flocks of the song and game birds 
of the country, according to reports that have 
been received to-day by Audubon officials in this 
city. Following the sweep of the recent blizzard 
from coast to coast, great tracts of trees and 
land are known to be storm-locked against the 
feathered life that must seek shelter and food 
from the natural sources that are now held in the 
icy grip of winter. 
“We are exerting our utmost resources, as we 
have during recent hard winters, to save the 
storm-stricken birds of this country with every 
means at our disposal,” said T. Gilbert Pearson, 
secretary of the National Association of Audu¬ 
bon Societies, at its headquarters, 1974 Broad¬ 
way, to-day. “If each American will help us in 
this emergency rescue campaign, I feel sure great 
good can be accomplished in prolonging the life 
of the birds that will in the new year form our 
chief fighting force against the crop plague and 
agricultural disaster. We are raising food funds 
and furnishing instructions with which we hope 
soon to materially aid the perishing birds all over 
the continent.” 
