LARGE DECREASE IN PHEASANTS 
 
From the time that Ring-necked Pheasants were first released in Penn- 
sylvania in 1915,to the present time, an amazing increase of these birds
has been 
noted. Only 2,096 birds were purchased in 1915, and with 262,355 sportsmen

afield during that same year, 796 pheasants were killed. By 1920 when 4,062

pheasants were purchased and released, 432,240 sportsmen were afield and
23,000 
birds were killed. During 1929 slightly over 9,000 birds were released, the

majority of which were raised at the game farms, and by refuge keepers and

sportsmen. During that year 504,748 hunters were afield, and killed 212,082

pheasants, all of which were males; the hens having been protected since
1923. 
 
- > IV 
 
SOME PHEASANTS ESCAPE THE HUNTERS 
 
That some game creatures do manage to escape the gunner each year is 
borne out by a communication just received at the offices of the Game Commission

from Mr. Harry G. Eby, Superintendent of Nursery, Prison Labor Division of
the 
Department of Welfare, Bellefonte, Pa., who stated that he recently had handed

to him a Ring-necked Pheasant, which was picked up dead near the nursery
at 
Rockview. The bird had apparently flown against the water pipe line over
the 
seed beds and killed itself. On its leg was a band bearing the number 24553,

indicating that the bird was released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Mr. 
C. A. Hiller, In Charge of Propagation, when checking the band number against

past records, found that the bird was one which was released when a year
old in 
Columbia County during the season     n     It can readily be seen that the
bird 
did quite some travelling during the intervening period. 
 
~JI 
 
SOME PHEASANTS ESCAPE THE IIUNTERS