

AuG. 24, 1907.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 

never hear near our homes. Take a still day 
on the mountains and you may hear the song 
of birds that will make you wish you were near 
home, especially if it is growing dark. It is 
such a common thing to have the birds around 
us in summer, but would it not seem a very 
uncommon condition if there were no birds?” 
W. C. SPELMAN, 

An Inquiring Reader. 
Ptumas County, Cal., Aug. 1.—Editor Forest 
and Stream: I want to ask a question or two: 
1. Are there any parrots wild in or indige- 
nous to Florida? 
2. Has the sea horse of the type illustrated 
in the natural histories ever been reported as 
found in America other than the Hudson River? 
3. Does the bird called the oyster catcher 
really catch oysters and devour them? 
4. Can anyone tell me of an animal in North 
America called neuter or newter, or it may be 
the nutria? 
5. Also of an animal or 
America called the gamalia? JenG: 
{[r. Yes, the Carolina paroquet (Conurus 
carolina) used to be abundant in Florida, but 
is now exceedingly scarce and rapidly approach- 
ing extermination. 2. Yes, common on the 
Atlantic coast, rather southerly. 3. It some- 
times eats them, but does not run after and over- 
take them. 4. The question possibly applies 
to the newt of which there are several species. 
These are small tailed batrachians also called 
salamanders. In proper situations they are com- 
mon North American animals. The coypu rat 
(Myopotamus coypus), a South American 
rodent, produces a fur called nutria. 5. We 
do not know it.—EnpirTor.] 
reptile in North 

Rearing Game Birds in Confinement. 
From the Report for 1906 of the Massachusetts Commis- 
sion of Fisheries and Game. 
On March 16, 1906, His Excellency Governor 
Guild referred to this commission a strong 
petition, signed by Leonidas L. Hamilton and 
others, requesting that attention be directed to 
protection and propagation of our native quail 
(Colinus wirginianus). The following report 
was made to the Governor by Chairman George 
W. Field: 
The Commissioners on Fisherie§ and Game respectfully 
present the following brief report upon the petition of 
Leonidas L. Hamilton and others, for the further protec- 
tion of game in the State, which was referred to this 
board on March 16, by your order. 
There can be no question of the great economic value 
of quail as a farm crop in Massachusetts. Its value hes 
in its remarkable efficiency as a destroyer of insects, cut- 
worms, potato bugs and gypsy moths. Its esthetic value 
in the landscape is also a feature of considerable import- 
ance. As a game bird, it may readily be made the most 
important in the State. As a bird, alive or dead, in the 
market it brings from $5 to $10 per dozen, and the de- 
mand far exceeds the supply. 
Unfortunately, climatic conditions make it difficult for 
the quail to maintain itself in Massachusetts, which is 
practically the northern limit of its geographical range. 
Deep snow, bringing scarcity of food and inaccessibility 
of gravel, cause many deaths from starvation. This, 
together with the natural enemies—for example, foxes, 
bird dogs and particularly cats—have been responsible 
for the death of more quail than have sportsmen. Rela- 
tively few quail are killed by hawks and owls. Neverthe- 
less, on account of its great economic value, as indicated 
above, well-directed efforts should be made to furnish to 
the quail practical assistance in maintaining itself by 
providing covers and feeding places where it can obtain 
under all conditions, grain, gravel and nitrogenous food. 
Quail can endure cur severest cold, provided they have 
food, gravel and shelter from snow; therefore, it is per- 
fectly feasible to furnish the relatively small but necessary 
degree of assistance to nature. 
This commission has already begun preliminary experi- 
ments to ascertain the best methods of rearing quail and 
native birds which are of value as insect devourers, for 
stocking the covers. Attention will be given particularly 
to maintaining the native birds, rather than imported 
species. ‘The methods employed thus far are rearing 
quail in confinement in pens, and also by stocking suit- 
able farms, where food can be readily provided, where 
hunting is absolutely prohibited, and where special effort 
is made to control the enemies of the birds, particularly 
the cats, dogs, foxes, skunks and forest fires. Should 
these preliminary experiments warrant, we hope next 
year to undertake on a practical scale the propagation of 
quail, ruffed and pinnated grouse, which are of undoubted 
economic value. 
We therefore respectfully suggest that action upon the 
petition be postponed until next year, pending the re- 
sults of our experiments. 
Unfortunately, Massachusetts is practically the 
northern limit of the quail’s habitat: conse- 
Upper Portion of Phctograph: One of the Quail’s Nests Built in Our Breeding Pen. 
Portion: “Just Out.” 
quently, Bobwhite here leads at best but a pre- 
carious existence under natural conditions. At 
frequent intervals the flocks are almost totally 
destroyed by severe storms of snow or sleet; 
then follow years of scarcity, until the few sur- 
vivors, augmented by the limited number of in- 
dividuals which gradually push toward the fron- 
tier, again multiply. The quail is a compara- 
tively prolific breeder under favorable conditions, 
and for this reason the tides of abundance and 
scarcity of individuals follow in relatively rapid 
succession. Observations indicate that the quail 
can withstand practically any degree of cold 
which comes to us in Massachusetts, provided 
there is shelter from sleet and snow, and an 
abundance of gravel and suitable food accessi- 
ble. These untoward conditions of climate can 
therefore be readily ameliorated by furnishing 
the shelter and feeding places near every farm 
house and upon every estate and private or club 
preserve where the quail could be reduced to 
a condition of semi-domestication. In isolated 
cases this has been done in a limited way for 
many years. But the credit for the extension 

Lower Pertion: 
Center 
“One Day Old.” 
of the practice and the widening interest in the 
quail should be given to the sportsmen and to 
the various associations, notably the Massachu- 
setts Fish and Game Protective Association, and 
to public-spirited private individuals. For years 
the Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective 
Association has bought large numbers of live 
quail from the Southern States and liberated 
them, through the co-operation of clubs and in- 
dividuals who undertook the care of the birds 
and shared the expense. To these efforts are 
mainly due whatever quail are now inhabiting 
our covers. 
But this bird is not for the sportsman alone. 
The farmer is beginning to realize the value of 
an ally which eats stupendous numbers of weed 
seeds in the fall and winter, and spends the 
long summer days in destroying the cutworm 
and the potato beetle. Moreover, the quail’s 
cheery whistle and the melodious “scatter calls” 
are assets of country life which the farmer and 
the country or suburban resident now appreciate 
more than ever. 
Within the past few years the market demand 

