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necessary for the purpose of making fire-stops for the protection 
from fire of the feeding and breeding grounds of the pinnated 
grouse, or of otherwise securing the maintenance and increase of 
such pinnated grouse, or of any other species of wild birds upon 
said islands.” For work “incidental to these purposes, and for 
an investigation and reports upon the best methods and prob- 
able cost of protecting and increasing the colonies of birds on 
the island,” $2,000 was appropriated by the last Massachusetts 
Legislature. 
We have carefully investigated the problems involved in the 
permanent maintenance of the heath hen, and have concluded 
that: — 
1. One or more extensive areas, as reservations or sanctu- 
aries, should be acquired by the Commonwealth, patrolled and 
maintained. These sanctuaries should include the principal 
breeding and feeding grounds of the birds. Some of the land 
should be annually ploughed and sown to clover, rye, corn, 
wheat, buckwheat, ete. 
2. Suitable and sufficient fire-stops should be made and 
maintained in order to minimize the danger of brush fires, 
which have in the past proved so disastrous to the birds, vege- 
tation and property. 
3. All possible precautions should be taken against the in- 
troducing of infectious disease, such as, e.g., Entero-hepatitis, 
Coceidiosis, “ white diarrhcea,” chicken cholera, ete., which may 
be transmitted to the grouse through the agency of domestic 
hens, turkeys, duck, geese, ete. 
4. As soon as the number of birds has increased sufficiently, 
systematic artificial incubation, feeding and brooding should 
be undertaken for the purpose of rearing annually an increased 
number of young birds. By artificial propagation we may 
expect to increase the number of eggs laid, to lessen the loss 
resulting from the destruction of nests and eggs by skunks, mice 
and other enemies, and to reduce the mortality by guarding the 
young birds against crows, hawks, jays and other enemies. 
5. The expense involved would be practically identical with 
that incidental to ordinary poultry raising, except that on ac- 
count of the hardiness and vigor of the grouse, the expense of 
housing the adult birds would be well nigh eliminated. 
