REPORT OF BOARD OF FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONERS. 
61 
THE HUNGARIAN PARTRIDGE. 
During the past two years we have liberated in thirty-nine counties of 
the State about 2,400 of these famous European game birds. 
A wide distribution has been given them from San Bernardino and 
San Diego counties in the south to Siskiyou County in the north. From 
many sections in the central, northern, and eastern parts of the State 
encouraging reports have been received. From the southern part of 
the State, San Bernardino County seems the only one in which the 
birds can now be found, and one covey containing 100 birds is reliably 
reported to be known in Yucaipe Valley. In Sonoma County, near 
Santa Rosa, several coveys aggregating 200 birds are reported. Increase 
is noted in Sierra, Siskiyou, Lake, Napa, Mendocino, San Benito, and 
Tehama counties. Excellent and trustworthy 'reports showing strong 
increase have come from Butte and Inyo counties. 
According to Mr. Henry Oldys, assistant of the United States 
Biological Survey, during the past two years “nearly 40,000 partridges 
have been transplanted from the game covers of Europe into those of 
America, ’ ’ previous to which time less than 8,000 had been imported. 
This indicates a strong and widespread belief in the adaptability of 
the Hungarian partridge to this country. It is unquestionably regarded 
as the most promising of the foreign birds whose introduction is being 
attempted. The small state of Connecticut has in the past three years 
imported and liberated nearly 7,000 and the sportsmen of that state 
have found so much encouragement in the increasing number of coveys 
that further efforts are being made to increase the supply by addi¬ 
tional importation. Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, and New Jersey have 
met with sufficient success to justify further expenditures. From the 
state of Washington it is reported “that along the northern border 
of the state Hungarian partridges have become almost as plentiful as 
pheasants.” A carefully planned and successful attempt to introduce 
these birds is being carried on by Commissioner Sweeney of Indiana. 
He says, “I have 10,000 Hungarian partridges in the state of Indiana on 
160 game preserves, and during the next three months will distribute 
about 8,000 more. They have thriven exceedingly well and are proving 
themselves finely adapted to Indiana climate and agricultural conditions. 
I feel they are the coming game bird of the Middle West.” 
The original habitat of the European partridge was on the shores 
of the Black Sea, and it is claimed “that from there they spread, follow¬ 
ing in the steps of grain cultivation throughout central and northern 
Europe.” While we recognize that in the valley quail our State pos¬ 
sesses perhaps the finest game bird in the world, under the rapidly 
changing conditions caused by clearing off and settling of the wild lands 
their breeding ground is steadily being reduced, the coveys growing 
