BREEDING OF QUAIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 206, 31 July 1937, Page 11

BREEDING OF QUAIL.

PROPOSAL FOR ROTORUA. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, July 30. A proposal is under consideration for the breeding of quail, in addition to pheasants, at the State Game Farm. Ngongataha, Rotorua. The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. AV. E. Parry) stated that while at Rotorua last week he had discussed with the Conservator of Fish and Game (Mr A. Kean) and the curator (Mr J. Digby) the question of adding quail to the activities of the game farm. It would be necessary, the Minister said, to secure some good slock birds and those were no doubt obtainable in the South Island. He was arranging for the Department of Internal Affairs to conduct some inquiries. Mr Parry said he had been informed by sportsmen that quail, which were fairly numerous at the beginning of the season, seemed suddenly to be disappearing from many parts of the North Island. He had been informed by a Hawke’s Bay sportsman that there had been an epidemic among the hen birds. Referring to the controversy existing among gun sportsmen as to the advisability of liberating the mallard duck in the North Island Mr Parry said it had been noticeable among shooters, with whom he had discussed the matter, that there was a distinct swaying of opinion in favour of the liberation of the mallard to replace an apparent shortage of water game birds. It was held by some, he said, that the rouen was more responsible for the dwindling grey duck than the mallard. All the hybrids that were seen to-dav were held by these sportsmen to be from rouen stock.