A Bird Survey The Oxford biologists, who have done a
deal of good and ingenious work, especially in regard to the oscillations of the mammal population, are just setting forth to make a survey of the pheasant population, in relation to districts and counties. They would like sportsmen to send them records of bags— horrid word—with other apposite information. The trouble is that the pheasant has become more and more a domestic fowl with a short life. The syndicates, who as a rule have no native interests, artificially rear so many birds or buy so many poults, and show bad temper if they do not kill almost as many birds as they rear. If poults are bought, an astonishing proportion of the bag will consist of cocks for the game- farins (which increase and prosper) naturally would rather sell their cocks than their hens ; and the purchasers feel that the cocks are the superior target. Both parties are pleased with the transaction ; but an excess of cocks is, of course, apt to interfere with the breeding of wild birds. In making a survey of the pheasant population almost as much information could be obtained from the game farms as from the owners of shoots or their keepers. The game-farmers would also be able to give quite interesting information on the varieties of birds that are now spread abroad ; Mongolian, Japanese versicolor, melanistic mutant, old English or what. This Oxford Survey of the pheasant population should be of interest to poultry-keepers. There are dates (generally in November and late December, not October) when the sale of poultry is seriously affected by the supply of pheasants at a reasonable price.
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