Jan. 28, 1911.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
135 
times do not return for several hours after being 
startled. It is very tedious work, as the men 
sometimes have to wait for hours at a time 
without results. As soon as the gate is sprung 
two men go immediately to the trap, enter, and 
catch the desirable animals in their arms and 
tie their feet. The undesirable ones are then re¬ 
leased. The others are then untied, and put in 
the crates, which are always prepared in ad¬ 
vance ready to receive them. 
1 he crates are made of light one-inch lumber, 
with tight floors, and sides tight for about half 
way up so they cannot get their feet through 
and injure their legs. They are put in through 
a sliding door at the rear end of the cage. 
Most of the crates were made double, with a 
tight partition through the center, thus having 
two animals in each crate, but in entirely sepa¬ 
rate compartments. The inside dimensions of 
each compartment is 4 feet long, 1 foot 9 
inches wide, by 3 feet 6 inches high. Some think 
they would ship better in smaller quarters, but 
ever, to repeat the experiment this season, as 
the herd is pretty much stirred up and scat¬ 
tered, and needs the regular feeding which had 
to be discontinued to some extent, and very 
careful handling for a time, to restore the ani¬ 
mals to their usual tame condition. 
Game Bird Rearing in 1909. 
The report of the Commissioners of Fisher¬ 
ies and Game of the State of Massachusetts for 
the year 1909 gives interesting information 
about the efforts to breed bobwhite quail and 
ruffed grouse in confinement at the Sutton 
Hatchery. These efforts, while attended by no 
phenomenal success, had good results and led 
to conclusions that the feeding and care of 
young or old birds present no special difficulties 
except in so far as the food of the old birds 
may affect the vitality of the embryos or young; 
that infectious diseases—provided sufficient in- 
New York Legislature. 
Albany, Jan. 24. — Editor Forest and Stream: 
Assemblyman Patrie, of Catskill, has introduced 
two bills, relating to taking suckers by hooking 
through the ice in Greene county, and to pro¬ 
hibit the hunting of hares and rabbits with 
ferrets, making the possession of ferrets pre¬ 
sumptive evidence of their illegal use. 
Senator Emerson, of Warrensburg, has in¬ 
troduced a bill, striking out of Section 56 the 
provision making it a misdemeanor for any 
person who shall cut, or cause or allow to be 
cut, coniferous trees within the forest preserve 
counties without cutting off all the branches 
at the time of cutting the trees. 
Senator Holden and Assemblyman Ham¬ 
mond, of Syracuse, have introduced a bill pro¬ 
viding for the establishment of a College of 
Forestry at Syracuse University. 
Senator Hamilton, of Ripley, has introduced 
a bill relating to the taking or possession of 
r 
YELLOWSTONE LAKE. 
From a photograph by G. W. Ridge. 
our men, after their additional experience of the 
past few weeks, still maintain that these are the 
proper dimensions. Of course the inside of the 
crate is thickly padded with sacks of hay. They 
all struggle more or less when first captured. 
Most of them quiet down after a few hours, but 
some, more especially the bucks, are liable to 
continue to struggle indefinitely and eventually 
injure themselves. Strangers are kept entirely 
away from them until they are shipped, and 
every effort has been made to keep them away 
en route, both by placards on the crates and by 
special requests to express messengers. Much 
of their struggling is overcome at first by tip¬ 
ping the crates up at the front to an angle of 
about 45 degrees, so that they slip back on the 
floor and are unable to gain impetus when they 
try to hurl themselves against the side of the 
crate. We have even found it necessary to ship 
some of the bucks with the crates slightly ele¬ 
vated in front. The bucks are shyer than the 
does, much more difficult to catch, and also 
much more difficult to handle and tame after 
they are caught. * * * * 
Personally, L feel well satisfied with the re¬ 
sults of this attempt, the loss being smaller than 
I anticipated. It would not be advisable, how- 
telligent and careful attention is given—do not 
present the menace formerly feared; and that 
the most serious problem now to be consid¬ 
ered is the maintaining a maximum vitality in 
the breeding birds and their progeny. 
No ruffed grouse were reared from the breed¬ 
ing stock of four birds, but from twenty eggs 
from wild birds, hatched in two lots, four grew 
to practically full size and seven were reared. 
From a breeding stock of sixty-six quail, 
L 447 eggs were secured, of which 207 were 
infertile. One quail laid 102 eggs. Some of 
these eggs were hatched in incubators, and 
some under hens. The hatching numbered 691, 
of which 176 soon died. Three hundred and 
sixty-one grew to the age of one month, but at 
a later date a large number of these died from 
various causes, chiefly from diseases which are 
still little understood. 
It is recalled that during the season of 1910, 
about 400 quail were raised successfully at this 
hatchery. 
The Forest and Stream may be obtained from 
any newsdealer on order. Ask your dealer to 
supply you regularly. 
whitefish less than two pounds in the round. 
Other bills introduced: 
By Assemblyman Sullivan, providing that in 
parts of Erie and Chautauqua counties, which 
border on Lake Erie, Wilson or English snipe 
may be taken in April. 
By Senator Burd, relating to Lake Erie mul¬ 
let, suckers, carp and catfish. 
Wildcats Kill Deer. 
The prevalence of wildcats in the Forks 
plantation in Somerset county has been called 
to the attention of Chairman Brackett of the 
Fish and Game Commission by Game Warden 
F. J. Durgin. The warden recently found 
tracks of eleven wildcats in one drove, and 
says it is a common thing to see three, four 
and even six at one time. He thinks something 
drastic must be done to get rid of these ani¬ 
mals, as they kill many deer. 
He says he has tried to run a wildcat down 
on the snow, but was never abie to get very 
near. He says a large wildcat can easily kill a 
deer. The State, it is recalled, pays $2 bounty 
on wildcats, and abopt $1,000 has been paid out 
this year for that purpose—Lewiston Journal. 
