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REPORT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

Unirep States DepartTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
Bureau or Brorocican Survey,
Washington, D. C., September 16, 1925.
Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the opera-
tions of the Bureau of Biological Survey for the fiscal year ended

June 30, 1925.
Respectfully,

Hon. W. M. Jarprne,
Secretary of Agriculture.

E. W. NEtson,
Chief of Bureau.

ORGANIZATION OF THE BIOLOGICAL
SURVEY

The increasing occupation and de-
velopment of the United States and
its Territories makes it increasingly
difficult to maintain even a fair repre-
sentation of our once enormous nat-
ural resources in game and fur-bear-
‘ing animals and game and insectivor-
ous birds. At the same time the wide-
spread herds of domestic stock and
the extension of the farming areas
have’ given predatory animals and
harmful rodents of many species a
Stable and abundant food supply, un-
der the influence of which their num-
bers increase and necessitate active
control.

To accomplish the varied tasks in-
volved in these problems calls for field
and laboratory investigational work
by trained specialists, and the mainte-
nance of a warden service to safeguard
Federal wild-life refuges and to en-
force Federal game laws, as well as a
force to conduct field campaigns to
control animal and occasional bird
pests. These activities also involve
much educational and cooperative
work. The work of the bureau is or-
ganized in seven divisions, as follows:

1. Economie investigations, A. K.
Fisher, in charge. Necessary investi-
gations are made and the organization
and leadership furnished for coopera-
tive campaigns throughout the country
for the destruction or other control of
predatory animals and _ injurious
rodents.

65222—25——_1

2. Fur resources, Frank G. Ash-
brook, in charge. Through experi-
ments and investigations in fur farm-
ing and by close cooperation with as-
sociations of fur producers and the fur
trade, studies are made of problems
in the maintenance of the fur supply,
both in the wild and under controlled
conditions, and in the development of
the fur industry.

3. Food habits research, W. L. Me-
Atee, in charge. Studies are made of
the food habits and economic relations
of birds, reptiles, and amphibians; of
the food resources of water areas
suitable for migratory wild fowl; and
of methods of increasing useful and
controlling injurious birds.

4. Biological investigations, HE. A.
Goldman, in charge. Field and labor-
atory investigations are made of the
wild life of the country, including
technical studies to determine the clas-
sification of species, their life habits,
and their migrations and distribution,
for the purpose of mapping the natural
life zones of this continent and of
providing the fundamental scientific
information necessary for the eco-
nomic, regulatory, and other activities
of the bureau.

5. Alaskan wild life, the chief of
bureau and W. F. Bancroft, in charge.
Problems concerned with the develop-
ing reindeer industry are studied, and
assistance is given to native and other
owners of herds; through representa-
tion on the Alaska Game Commission
and in other ways fur production in
the Territory is encouraged and ex-

9 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

pert advice and assistance given in
matters affecting the future of
Alaska’s resources in game; investi-
gations are conducted and assistance
given to help develop stock grazing

and fur farming on islands within the.

the Aleutian Islands Reservation.

6. Game and bird refuges, Smith
Riley, in charge. Sixty-nine Federal
large game and bird refuges are ad-

ministered in the United States,
Alaska, Porto Rico, and Hawaii
through warden service and inspec-

tions; hay is produced on the elk ref-
uge in Wyoming for winter feeding of
the elk; and disposal is made by
transfer for restocking purposes or by
sale of surplus animals on the five
big-game preserves under the bureau’s
jurisdiction.

7. Protection of migratory birds,
George A. Lawyer, in charge. Federal
Jaws are administered for the protec-
tion of migratory game and other
birds, and laws governing interstate
shipments and importations from for-
eign countries of wild birds and mam-
mals.

Plans haye been made for a tem-
porary reorganization following the
resignation of Smith Riley, in charge
of reservations. He will be succeeded
by E. A. Goldman, by transfer from
chief of biological investigations, and
H. H. T. Jackson will be placed in act-
ing charge of the latter division.
George A. Lawyer resigned as Chief
U. S. Game Warden on September 15,
1925.

INJURIOUS WILD ANIMALS

A constantly increased food supply
stimulates the increase of wild ani-
mals dependent upon it. The exten-
sion of farming and stock growing in
their various branches over the en-
tire United States has provided the
needed food supply, and under its in-
fluence in various places in the West
coyotes and wolves have rendered it
impossible successfully to grow certain
kinds of livestock upon which these
animals prey. In other areas the mul-
tiplication of rodents with almost un-
believable rapidity about grainfields
has increased the difficulty of suc-
cessful production. Long experience
has demonstrated that it is an eco-
nomic necessity to combat such injuri-
ous wild animals in order that the
losses to agriculture and stock grow-
ing may be reduced within tolerable
limits.

Furthermore, the rapid and con-
tinuous spread of rabies from its out-
break in a single focus in California
in 1909 through six of the Northwest-

ern States before it was controlled,
with its appalling losses of livestock
and a list of more than 2,000 persons
bitten by rabid animals, of whom
about 60 died, evidences the danger
of permitting predatory animals to
maintain themselves in great numbers
in the midst of territory generally
occupied by civilized people.

The losses of crops, livestock, game,
and poultry from these animals have
run into hundreds of millions of dol-
lars a year. Campaigns against these
pests, which are being led by experts
of the Biological Survey, mainly west
of the Mississippi River, have very
greatly reduced their numbers and
have vastly reduced the annual losses
from this source.

Little objection can be raised to the
continuance of a limited number of
predatory animals in national parks
and in wilderness areas remote from
civilization, so long as they do not
prove too destructive to the other wild
life there. It must be taken into con-
sideration, however, that with the
erowing numbers of hunters and the
improved facilities for getting into the
haunts of game, either the number of
hunters seeking game or the number
of predatory animals permitted to
roam the forest must be reduced, or
the resulting drain on game will mean
its extermination.

Experience with wild animals in this
country indicates that bobcats and
coyotes will continue to exist in many
areas within our territory in the dis-
tant future. Their numbers can be
reduced in the districts where their
destructiveness is most marked until
losses are almost entirely eliminated,
as has been well demonstrated within
recent years. That these animals
really will be exterminated in our ter-
ritory before a very leng time, is be-
yond reasonable probability. The case
of the coyote is sufficient proof of this
fact. Of recent years these animals,
although constantly being destroyed as
stock killers and for their pelts, still
have not only continued to exist in
practically all their former territory,
but have vastly extended their range
and now occur from Costa Rica, in
Central America, to the mouth of the
Mackenzie River, in Canada, and from
wooded parts of Indiana to the Pa-
cific coast. They possess the same ex-
traordinary adaptability to environ-
ment which has enabled red foxes to
persist so successfully in New Eng-
land after several hundred years of
pursuit by civilized man.

Less conspicuous but far more de-
structive in the aggregate than the
predatory animals are the rodent pests |

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 8

that not only reduce’ the forage avail-
able for livestock on the ranges but
also are vastly destructive to agricul-
tural products, as well as to roads,
irrigation systems, levees, and railway
embankments. To this list may be
added the enormous losses of food and
other products and property by the
depredations of house rats. The con-
trol of each of these pests presents a
special problem, requiring investiga-
tions of the habits, distribution, and
economic relations of the animals.
This work the Biological Survey is
continuing both in the laboratory and
the field. A field organization is
maintained in most of the Western
States to coordinate operations against
these animal pests with the work of
other Federal, State, and local agen-
cies. Good progress is being made and
each year the losses from this source
are decreased.

Federal funds in the amount of
$429,642 were available for use dur-
ing the year in destroying wild-animal
pests on the public domain and for co-
operative work elsewhere. Of this
sum $270,967 was used in the destruc-
tion of predatory animals and $158,-
675 for the control of rodents. Or-
ganized work was conducted in 21
States, which provided cooperative
funds totaling $839,568 from State ap-
propriations and other sources. Ap-
proximately $389,874 of the coopera-
tive funds were expended for the de-
struction of predatory animals and
$450,194 in rodent-control work.

PREDATORY ANIMALS

The conditions under which inten-
sive work has been carried on for the
control of predatory animals have
shown marked improvement during
the past 10 years. Originally organ-
ized to prevent wolves, coyotes, and
other marauders from destroying live-
stock on national forests and other
public domain, it soon became appar-
ent that to assist the livestock indus-
try adequately the work must be ex-
tended to cover State and_ private
lands also. To this end, the aid of
State and local agencies has been en-
listed, and all efforts have been so
successfully coordinated as to prove a
gratifying demonstration of the possi-
bilities of a correlation in which many
organizations and many men can work
together to reach a common objective.

Cooperating State agencies have in-
cluded State departments of agricul-
ture, livestock commissions or boards,
game commissions, agricultural ex-
tension departments, county organi-

zations, and stockmen’s and farmers’
associations, as well as individuals.
Predatory-animal work has been in
progress in 16 States—Arizona, Cali-
fornia, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, Min-
nesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada,
New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota,
Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyo-
ming. Arrangements also have been
made whereby agencies controlling
Federal lands, as the Forest Service
and the Bureau of Animal Industry of
the Department of Agriculture, and
the Office of Indian Affairs and the
National Park Service of the Depart-
ment of the Interior, may participate
and receive assistance in the work.
The Bureau of Plant Industry and the
Bureau of Chemistry of this depart-
ment also have aided in consultations
and laboratory investigations.

In order to cover economically the
enormous areas infested by predatory
animals the voluntary service of many
farmers and stockmen has been uti-
lized. These men were instructed how
to treat thetr own ranges and prose-
eute the work on definite plans. A
force of 402 trappers and poisoners
has been employed under the bureau’s
supervision during the year and paid
from Federal and State funds and
from funds of other cooperating agen-
cies. Skins having a market value
and also the scalps of animals taken
in trapping and hunting or found
after poisoning operations were turned
in by them as evidence, and include
352 wolves, 37,255 coyotes, 2,945 bob-
cats, 61 Canada lynxes, 228 mountain
lions, and 201 bears. And it is esti-
mated that about 80,000 additional
coyotes were killed and their skins
and scalps not taken, as it is not prac-
ticable to collect many carcasses after
extended poisoning operations.

Wolves—Gray or lobo wolves have
gradually yielded to the intensive
drive to clear them from the livestock-
producing sections of the country and
have now been reduced to such small
numbers that there is only an occa-
sional lone survivor or pair known to
exist in the areas devoted to livestock
production, aside from animals which
cross into the United States from Can-
ada or Mexico. Owing to their de-
structiveness of livestock and game,
these animals can be tolerated only in
unsettled country. Aside from purely
economic reasons, their elimination in
occupied country is essential to an
intelligent conservation of the useful
and attractive forms of wild life.
This does not mean complete exter-
mination of the species, for wolves
will doubtless continue to exist indefi-

4 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

nitely in the wilder parts of Canada
and Mexico, where they now occur in
large numbers.

Skilled hunters have been detailed °

to take destructive individuals wher-
ever they appear and to patrol the
borders, especially in Arizona and
New Mexico, for those animals coming
across the international boundary. Of
the 31 wolves taken in New Mexico
during the year, the greater part are
believed to have come from Mexico,
and of a like number killed in Arizona
21. had recently crossed the border.
Despite unremitting effort only 381
wolves were taken in New Mexico, 31
in Arizona, 1 in Colorado, 1 in Utah,
1 in Wyoming, none in Idaho, 33 in
Montana, and none in South Dakota,
and this indicates the scarcity of these
animals in their former strongholds.
So far as known, searcely a litter of
young: wolves was permitted to escape
in these States during the year.

Reports during the current year in-
dicate that the previous intensive ef-
forts to take the outstandingly de-
structive wolves have been successful
and have left relatively few, and these
are wide-ranging animals which fre-
quent the less-settled sections of the
country. Ranges once heavily in-
fested are now reported as showing
no signs of wolves for more than a
year, a condition prevailing for the
first time in the memory of old-time
stockmen of the West. As the wolves
become fewer, it becomes increasingly
difficult to locate them, for they travel
long distances and change their range
frequently. In spite of this, however,
the hunters assigned particularly to
wolf. work have become so. skillful
that it usually takes only a few days
to capture any wolf reported doing
damage.

Coyotes.—Careful study of local con-
ditions in consultation with stockmen
and the execution of orderly plans for
the systematic treatment of entire
areas affected have made it possible
to reduce the numbers of coyotes and
to prevent much of the damage by
them. Through the steady drive
against these animals which has been
in progress for approximately 10
years there is now probably not 1
coyote where before there were 10.
Because the work has been stressed
in livestock-producing sections, the
losses over great areas of summer and
winter ranges of sheep and about the
lambing grounds have been practically
ended. This in no wise implies that
these cunning animals are becoming
exterminated, for an ample breeding
stock will continue to exist in many
areas far in the future.

Mountain lions—Careful study of the
seasonal movements of mountain lions
throughout their range has made con-
trol work possible. Although ordi-
narily hunted with dogs and rifles,
they are also trapped and poisoned
successfully, particularly through the
use of oil of catnip as a bait. A few
especially skillful men are employed
regularly in hunting these animals and
have dogs well trained for the pur-
pose. Their work is supplemented by
the employment for short intervals of
local stoeckmen who are experienced,
properly equipped, and thoroughly
familiar with conditions in their own
locality. The largest kill during the
past year was made in Arizona, where
127 mountain lions were destroyed.
Throughout the West 228 were taken,
making 1,464 since this work was or-
ganized in 1915.

An unusual and unfortunate inci-
dent occurred in December, when a
boy about 13 years old living near
Malott, Okanogan County, Wash., was
attacked and killed by a mountain
lion within half a mile of his home,
and the partially devoured remains
were not found until several hours
later. Tracks in the snow gave mute
testimony of the events which had
occurred during the pursuit till the
lion leaped upon and killed his human
prey. Due to the obliteration of the
tracks and other signs by the large
number of local hunters who took up
the pursuit seeking the local bounty
that was offered, the Federal-State
hunters were unable to find the trail.
A local rancher, however, while trap-
ping for coyotes a month later about
41%4 miles from the scene, caught a
83-year-old cougar by one toe in a
No. 3 trap. Examination of the
stomach disclosed a bolus mainly of
matted hair. This mass was care-
fully analyzed by one of the experts
of the Biological Survey and identi-
fied as human hair similar to that of
the boy, along with two pieces of
blue denim cloth, one piece of white
cloth similar to trouser pocket ma-
terial, and a discharged .38-caliber
cartridge shell which the boy had
evidently carried in his pocket as a
trinket.

Bobcats and lynxes.—Throughout most
of the important livestock ranges the
numbers of bobeats and lynxes have
been materially reduced through hunt-
ing by private trappers for furs and
by organized campaigns against them.
During the year 2,945 bobeats and 61
Canada lynxes were taken by hunters
operating under bureau supervision.
Bobeats are readily caught by ex-
perienced hunters with trained dogs

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 5

and traps. Though more difficult to
poison than many other predatory
animals, considerable numbers are
trapped with oil of catnip as bait.
The general situation as regards these
animals is quite satisfactory, for they
can be promptly destroyed wherever
individuals become addicted to killing
livestock.

Bears—Bears are considered game
animals in a number of States, and
as such receive protection. Hunters
of the Biological Survey are strictly
instructed to kill only such individuals
as are known to be destructive to
livestock or, in cooperation with State
game departments, bears destructive
to other game.

RABIES CONTROL

The measures employed to reduce
the numbers of coyotes and bobeats,
the principal wild-animal carriers of
rabies, have served to reduce the pos-
sible incidence of this disease as com-
pared with conditions existing about
1916 and 1917, when rabies was dis-
tributed over a vast area in the West-
ern States by these and other car-
riers. Wherever outbreaks of rabies
have occurred, either among wild
animals or domestic dogs, the force
of trained men employed by the Bio-
logical Survey and its cooperators
has acted so promptly with local
health officials and livestock sanitary
boards in destroying the predatory
animals in the district that the dura-
tion of the outbreak has been short
and of minor intensity.

In Colorado the outbreaks noted in
the previous annual report of the
bureau were controlled, the spread of
the disease was checked, and no new
eases have been reported in recent
months. Outbreaks of rabies were
suppressed also on the Klamath
Indian Reservation and in several
places in eastern Washington. Spo-
radic recurrences of this disease are
reported throughout the territory pre-
viously affected, but the present co-
operative organizations have the situ-
ation so well in hand and are in a
position to move so quickly that the
disease is not again likely to escape
from control and spread over an ex-
tensive area.

FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE AMONG
DEER

The series of outbreaks of foot-and-
mouth disease in various parts of Cali-
fornia in 1924 so vigorously handled
by the Bureau of Animal Industry by
fall were entirely suppressed among
domestic livestock, but not before the

deer in the forests on the western
slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains
in Stanislaus County had become in-
fected. The range of deer is continu-
ous up and down the entire length of
the Sierra Nevadas, and across into
the Coast Ranges of California and
into Oregon and Nevada so that this
infection presented possibilities of ap-
palling consequences to the economic
interests of California and the entire
West.

In this emergency the assistance of
the Biological Survey, with its trained
force of hunters, was requested to iso-
late the deer and suppress the dis-
ease to prevent what might result in
a national catastrophe. Under the di-
rection of the field representatives
of the bureau a force of more than
200 hunters and their camp assist-
ants was established in a cordon en-
circling the infected area to prevent
any possibility of diseased deer pass-
ing the line into other territory.

The work went on throughout the
winter and 2,249 deer that had been
infected with foot-and-mouth disease
were killed. As the result, before the
end of the fiscal year the hunters
ceased to find evidences of recently in-
fected deer, although the work was
continued as a form of insurance.
When the spring of 1925 opened and
the deer returned to the high Sierras,
guards were established in all the
passes used by them in crossing the
mountains toward the State of Nevada
in order to prevent any possible pas-
sage of the infection to that State.
Apparently this work was completely
successful.

Certain persons, who learned of the
considerable number of deer being
killed, adversely criticized the opera-
tions. This, however, it is believed
was through lack of appreciation of
the danger.

In this work the Biological Survey
cooperated with the Bureau of Animal
Industry, the Forest Service, the Na-
tional Park Service, the State depart-
ment of agriculture, and the State
game commission. In the spring of
1925 special efforts were required to
prevent the spread of this disease
among the deer in the Yosemite Na-
tional Park,

INJURIOUS RODENTS

Rodent-control operations during
the past 10 years show a most gratify-
ing development in methods, in plans
of field operation, and in the quantity
and character of work accomplished,
and the past year shows a steady
progress. The direct benefits result-
ing from control operations against

6 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

the rodents which cause heavy losses
in farm crops and forage grasses, and
in truck and berry farms, orchards,
vineyards, and nurseries, have re-
sulted in a constantly increasing de-
mand for this service. The first re-
quests for assistance were in measures
against the more conspicuously de-
structive rodents, but the demon-
strated value of this control work, to-
gether with closer observation as to
the destructive activities of rodents
generally, has led to calls for assist-
ance in operations against other less
conspicuous but equally or even more
destructive forms.

Particular attention has been given
to correlating the efforts of the bu-
reau with those of other Federal,
State, and local agencies so as to
avoid duplication in rodent-control op-
erations and to concentrate upon the
problem all available forces. Only in
this way have the large-scale opera-
tions now in force been possible.

The bureau has had the hearty co-
operation of the Office of Cooperative
Extension Work and of the extension-
service organizations of the agricul-
tural colleges; and the work of county
agricultural agents has been an im-
portant factor in bringing its service
to the attention of landowners and
accomplishing the local organization
necessary to make its work fully ef-
fective. State departments of agri-
eulture, county commissioners, and
many agricultural, horticultural, and
livestock organizations have partici-
pated, and. where the work involved
operations on Federal land, the Forest
Service and the Bureau of Animal In-
dustry of this department, and the
Office of Indian Affairs and the Recla-
mation Service of the Department of
the Interior, have cooperated to the
fullest extent.

In cases where rodents serve as
earriers of disease-producing organ-
isms, arrangements are made to co-
ordinate the work of the bureau with
that of the United States Public
Health Service of the Treasury De-
partment and with State, county, and
municipal health organizations. The
field organization of the bureau has
been built up with a view to carry
results of its investigational work to
the public in the most practical and
economical way and to articulate this
service with regularly established
agencies within the States.

Prairie dogs and ground squirrels.—Im-
proved conditions have been evident
on the ranges from which prairie dogs
and ground squirrels have been largely
eradicated, and the harvesting of full
instead of partial crops has added

materially to the returns from farm-
ing operations. Drought in many
parts of the West emphasized the
serious competition of these animals
with livestock in the utilization of for-
age plants. In many areas it was
necessary to remove livestock to pas-
turage elsewhere while the prairie
dogs and ground squirrels continued
to exist on the remaining vestiges of
pasturage, preventing seed from be-
ing produced and even digging up the
plants by the roots.

Such conditions convince stockmen
of the desirability of clearing the
ranges of these unwelcome competi-
tors, so that the pasturage may be
improved for the benefit of their
herds. Rodent eradication is becom-
ing recognized as one of the most
direct and practical means of range
improvement and a step that is abso-
lutely essential if progress is to be
made by the adoption of other range-
improvement methods. Under the
drought conditions existing on the
open ranges, in some areas these rod-
ents migrated in great numbers to
cultivated fields and made serious in-
roads into the crops. As indicative
of the concentration of these animals,
225 dead prairie dogs were picked up
from 15 acres in a grainfield near
Flagstaff, Ariz., following application
of poison, but the number thus de-
stroyed must have been far greater,
since most of the poisoned prairie
dogs die below the surface, where
they can not be seen.

Desire to produce grasses, livestock,
and farm crops instead of prairie dogs
and ground squirrels has created a
demand for assistance in the eradi-
cation of these pests throughout the
West. Campaigns to destroy prairie
dogs and ground squirrels resulted
in the first treatment with poison
baits of 11,552,667 acres of Federal
and private lands, and _ follow-up
work to eradicate most of the sur-
vivors on 7,704,863 acres. This, added
to work accomplished since 1916
in Arizona, California, Idaho, Kan-
sas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma,
Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wash-
ington, and Wyoming, makes a total
of 12,637,634 acres of Federal and
115,915,033 acres of State and private
lands from which a large percentage
of these pests have been destroyed.

In addition to paying the cost of
poisoning operations on their own
lands, farmers apd stockmen -haye
continued to contribute thousands of
dollars’ worth of labor in distribut-
ing poison on adjacent Federal lands.
State officials and county commis-

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 7

sioners have aided by providing re-
volving funds to purchase poison sup-
plies. The bureau continued to ne-
gotiate the purchase of poison ma-
terials in wholesale quantities for use
on Federal lands and for cooperators,
with a resultant saving in the cost
of operation to the cooperators of
many thousands of dollars. The savy-
ing in crops and range grasses from
the work during the year is estimated
at more than $6,500,000. This does
not take into account the permanent
benefits which have resulted from
clearing the rodents from other areas
during previous years.

Seventeen counties are reported
cleared of prairie dogs, and from 95
to 98 per cent of the prairie dogs and
ground squirrels have been eliminated
from many others. Practically com-
plete protection of crops has been ob-
tained where poisoning operations
have been conducted systematically in
accordance with the bureau’s demon-
strated methods. Introduction of new
crops into the western farming areas is
promptly followed by attacks by
rodents. This makes necessary con-
stant development and adaptation of
methods to meet the advancements in
western agriculture.

County agricultural agents have
been active in stimulating interest in
this work and in preparing quantities
of the poisoned grain for local use.
A total of 1,573 tons of poisoned grain
have thus been prepared and distrib-
uted under the supervision of the
bureau’s representatives and coopera-
tive State and county officials. Cal-
cium eyanide has been successfully
employed against the Columbian
ground squirrel in Idaho, Washing-
ton, Oregon, and Montana, and is
being used to supplement poisoning
with strychnine-treated grains; 215,-
640 pounds of this fumigant have been
used for the purpose. Carbon bisulphide
has also been employed in a similar
way, 664,522 pounds having been
used during the year. Generally it
costs more to apply fumigants than
poisoned-grain baits, hence they are
used chiefly in follow-up treatment to
complete the eradication of the few
prairie dogs or ground squirrels which
remain after poisoning and also dur-
ing seasons when grain baits are not
effective.

Pocket gophers—Demonstration by the
bureau that the control of pocket
gophers is feasible and that it can be
accomplished at moderate cost has re-
sulted in increasing operations against
these pests in Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana,
Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota,

Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah,
and Washington. Interest in the con-
trol operations is developing rapidly
as the extent of damage caused by
these rodents in orchards, vineyards,
alfalfa fields, and truck crops, and the
serious injury which they do to levees,
irrigation ditches, and railroad em-
bankments becomes increasingly evi-
dent. ;

Water-users’ associations and _ offi-
cials of the Reclamation Service are
taking an active interest in the con-
trol of pocket gophers in irrigated
sections because of the resultant say-
ings in the cost of ditch-bank mainte-
nance, and the protection afforded
against damage to irrigated crops and
orchards.

Many railroad lines are inaugurat-
ing pocket-gopher control work, both
to protect their railway embankments
and to aid the people of the communi-
ties they traverse by eliminating this
source of infestation of the land ad-
jacent to their right of way.

Demonstration farms on which
pocket gophers are eradicated in co-
operation with the owners have been
established in a number of States,
enabling the farmers in the vicinity
to learn the methods employed and to
see the benefits accruing.

Jack rabbits and cottontails—Migration
of jack rabbits from the open ranges
into farming areas in search of food

-has been noted in many sections dur-

ing the year. The invasion of rabbits
in large numbers into cultivated fields
threatened enormous damage to crops
in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New
Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas,
Utah, and Washington. In some in-
stances, where operations against them
were not started in time, crops were
destroyed.

Field representatives of the bureau
demonstrated methods for destroying
these animals in various localities,
and great numbers of the rabbits were
killed, thus saving many crops. In
Roosevelt County, N. Mex., 20,000 rab-
bits were killed during an intensive
two weeks’ poisoning campaign, and
it is estimated that not less than
150,000 were destroyed during the
summer. In Washington, 77,900 were
destroyed by poisoning and drives, in
Utah 180,000, and in two counties of
Oregon 200,000 in poisoning campaigns.

Owing to the extreme variability of
jack rabbits in taking poisoned baits,
it is often necessary in launching a
campaign to conduct preliminary in-
vestigations to learn their food pref-
erences. This was done in Morrow
and Umatilla Counties, Oreg., where
jack rabbits were coming in great

8 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

numbers from the open ranges to the
eultivated. crops. A poisoning cam-
paign resulted in killing more than

200,000 of them which were counted, .

in addition to great numbers not
found. As a result, the rabbits did
only slight damage in most districts,
as it was possible to kill them as
fast as they moved in. In this cam-
paign 1,445 ounces of strychnine were
used, and some actual counts showed
kills from 200 to 742 rabbits for each
ounce of this poison.

Damage by cottontails to orchards,
truck farms, and gardens was re-
ported from many sections of the
country. Since these animals are usu-
ally regarded as game they, are ordi-
narily kept down to moderate num-
bers by hunters. Under these cir-
cumstances, the bureau has recom-
mended protective devices which have
aiforded relief where damage was be-
ing done.

The fact that tularemia, a deadly
epizootic disease among both jack rab-
bits and cottontails, may be communi-
cated to man as a disabling and some-
times a fatal disease, is added reason
for the control of these animals and
for care in handling and dressing their
carcasses. The bureau has kept in
close consultation with the United
States Public Health Service in refer-
ence to this aspect of the control prob-
lem. Valuable cooperative work was
accomplished during the year in con-
nection with an outbreak of tula-
remia in the vicinity of Carlsbad, N.
Mex., in which thousands of jack rab-
bits succumbed to the disease and at
least 17 persons were affected, one
case terminating fatally.

An article entitled ‘‘The European
Hare in North America,” reviewing the
history of its introduction, spread,
present distribution and abundance,
value as food, depredations, and con-
trol measures, was published during
the year in the Journal of Agricul-
tural Research.

Woodchucks. — Woodchuck
proved to be an important
ment during the year. Originally con-
fined chiefly to rough, stony land,
where they did relatively little dam-
age, woodchucks have spread into cul-

control
develop-

tivated areas and established them-
selves along levees, hedgerows, and

other favorable retreats, and have in-
vaded orchards and grain and root
crops. By girdling orchard trees and
feeding upon the products of the
farm, woodchucks have become a pest
of considerable importance. In the
banks of levees their burrows fre-
quently cause breaks in time of high
water which are expensive to repair,

in addition to flooding adjacent farms
and destroying crops, and in bridge
abutments and along culverts they
are responsible for serious washouts
to roads.

The Biological Survey has conducted
investigations and determined. prac-
ticable methods of fumigating wood-
chuck burrows with carbon bisulphide
or calcium cyanide. In Indiana, IIlli-
nois, New York, and Maryland 329
demonstrations were given and at-
tended by 4,934 landowners. In 24
counties in Indiana, 92 demonstrations
were attended by more than 2,000
farmers, and as a result 20,000
pounds of calcium cyanide were used.
Similar interest in the other demon-
strations was evidenced by a number
of counties appropriating funds to
purchase fumigating material in
wholesale quantities.

In the Rocky Mountain and Pacific
Coast States woodchucks are locally
destructive, consuming considerable
quantities of forage about mountain
meadows and attacking orchards, al-
falfa, and other farm, truck, and
garden crops. The use of poisoning
methods demonstrated by field repre-
sentatives of the bureau has served
to put a stop to much damage, and the
work bids fair to grow rapidly and
to result in the control of these
rodents.

Mountain beavers are reported to be in-
creasingly troublesome in sections of
western Washington, and especially in
areas where reforestation is being at-
tempted and on berry farms and truck
gardens. Methods of trapping and
poisoning them have been demon-
strated and assistance rendered in
preventing damage.

Wood rats are widely distributed
throughout the West, and while they
usually are of little economic impor-
tance, it has been found that they
interfere seriously with reforestation.
Attention has been directed toward
stopping their destructiveness, espe-
cially to the redwood and Douglas-fir
seedlings in the reforestation projects
of several lumber companies along
the Pacific coast. Damage by wood
rats to seedling trees has run as high
as 50 per cent on some of these areas,
an important factor in the success or
failure of reforestation projects, in

some of which more than 3,000,000
seedlings are being produced. The

cost of transplanting each acre of cut-
over land exceeds $12, and where
damage from wood rats approaches
50 per cent the necessity for their
elimination is obvious. Continued
effort is being made to work out prac-
tical measures for their control.

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 9

Field mice.—Lessened damage by
field mice during the year is largely
due to the demonstrations given in
many States where these rodents ap-
peared in numbers and proved de-
structive in orchards and to various
truck and garden crops. In Idaho
there was a heayy migration of mice
from the fields in the vicinity of the
Boise River Valley, and while serious
injury to fruit trees was threatened,
a large part of it was prevented by
the prompt use of poisoned grain,
3,960 pounds of which were distributed.
Mice also developed threatening num-
bers in orchards of Washington and
in other sections of the West, but
prompt use of poisoned grain reduced
their numbers so that littie actual
damage was done. Pocket mice ap-
peared in destructive numbers in
some of the grainfields, and 365 farm-
ers treated 75,000 acres with 21,000
pounds of poisoned grain in infested
places, resulting in complete protec-
tion to the fields. In the Hastern
States investigations were continued
upon pine mice, and assistance was
rendered as requested in control meas-
ures to protect orchards, vegetable
crops, and flower bulbs.

House rats and mice-——Because of the
enormous damage ito property and
the serious menace to public health in
the presence of rats and mice in the
United States, the Biological Survey
has continued investigations of meth-
ods for the control and elimination of
these rodents and has aided in their
control through furnishing publica-
tions, making demonstrations, and or-
ganizing local campaigns. Control has
been made simpler as the public
becomes aroused to the necessity of re-
pressive measures and is adopting
them more widely. The bureau has
emphasized important measures of
rat control, including rat-proof con-
struction and repair of buildings,
closing basement windows and other
openings through which rats can gain
entrance, disposing promptly of gar-
bage and piles of refuse where rats
find food or shelter, poisoning and
systematic trapping, fumigating rat
burrows with poisonous gases, using
effective rat dogs, and organizing com-
munity drives to kill the animals, and
to stimulate popular demand for the
permanent improvements which are
required to eliminate them. Improved
sanitary conditions have invariably
followed these campaigns.

In cooperation with the Bureau of
Animal Industry, work was done in
California in destroying rats in build-

65222—25 2

ings where foot-and-mouth disease had
occurred. Demonstrations have been
given and campaigns conducted in
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, North Da-
kota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and
the District of Columbia.

During the year investigations have
been conducted to improve methods
of combating rats, particularly about
poultry houses, because of the de-
structiveness of rats to eggs and young
chicks, and of their serving as pos-
sible carriers of avian tuberculosis.
Although much of the rat-control work
has been done in agricultural com-
munities, the bureau has also cooper-
ated with public-health and other
municipal officials in the conduct of
campaigns, of which the following is
typical:

During the annual fire-prevention
week in Denver, Colo., firemen visited
all the schools of the city and, men-
tioning rats as one of the causes of
destructive fires, requested support for
the rat campaign to be held the fol-
lowing week. As a preliminary step,
arrangements were made for the
proper disposal of garbage, and pub-
licity of the campaign was carried on
through newspapers, the radio, post-
ers, show windows, and advertise-
ments. Many business houses ran a
line in their regular advertisements
ealling attention to the rat campaign.
Preceding the campaign, inspectors of
the city health department met for in-
struction in mixing and placing poison
and in the methods of baiting and
setting traps. Each was made re-
sponsible for visiting every store in
the section assigned to him to see that
poison was put out or traps used ac-
cording to the local needs and to give
demonstrations in their use. Whole-
sale houses furnished supplies of meat
and other bait materials. As a re-
sult thousands of rats were killed and,
what is even more important, the
people received instruction in the sim-
ple, practical procedure required for
the control and elimination of these
destructive pests.

Porcupines are becoming of increasing
economic interest because of their de-
structiveness to forest trees and seed-
lings and their occasional raids upon
corn, raspberries, and fruit trees, par-
ticularly cherries and prunes. and
their feeding on and wallowing in
alfalfa. Investigations are being con-
ducted to determine improved methods
of controlling the damage wherever
these animals occur in destructive
numbers.

10

MOLES

Investigations have been carried on
to determine the simplest practical
methods for the control of moles, com-
plaints of damage by which continue
to be received. The bureau has dem-
onstrated and furnished information
through correspondence and publica-
tions on methods for the control and
elimination of these animals where
they are doing damage in lawns, gar-
dens, truck farms, pastures, and hay
meadows.

EXHIBITS AT FAIRS

In cooperation with the Office of
Exhibits the bureau has prepared ma-
terial for use in the regular fair cir-
cuits and at stockmen’s and sports-
men’s shows, particularly in Arizona,
California, Colorado, Montana, Ore-
gon, Texas, Washington, and Wyo-
ming. Damage by rodents and pred-
atory animals has been graphically
shown along with suitable control
measures. Mounted specimens of
some of the more important of these
pests have been used, and field rep-
resentatives of the bureau have added
local interest by including live speci-
mens of such animals as ground
squirrels, prairie dogs, pocket gophers.
wolves, and coyotes. Experienced
leaders have been present to discuss
these subjects with visitors and to
furnish advice regarding field opera-
tions in progress for the control of
injurious mammals. This educational
work has proved valuable in stimu-
lating cooperation in organized efforts
for the control of wild-animal pests.

FUR RESOURCES

The study and conservation of fur-
bearing animals has been for many
years one of the projects of the Bio-
logical Survey, and activities in this
line have included the rearing of fur
animals in captivity, investigations of
their diseases and parasites with
methods for their control, the study
of conditions on private fur farms,
and the preparation of bulletins on
the maintenance of the supply, both
by legal protection in the wild and by
production on fur farms. The growth
of this work made it advantageous to
organize a new unit in the bureau, the
Division of Fur Resources, established
on July 1, 1924, the objects of which
are (1) to make more generally
known the commercial importance of
fur in industry; (2) to emphasize the
need of maintaining the supply of raw
material; (8) to explain methods by

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

which this supply may not only be
maintained in quantity but improved
in quality; and (4) to continue

‘studies on an experimental fur farm

in the production of fur animals under
controled conditions. The success of
the bureau’s educational work to de-
velop a fuller realization of the fact
that fur is a valuable natural resource
which must be conserved if it is to be
perpetuated is becoming increasingly

evident.
FUR FARMING

Fur farming in the United States is
steadily developing, and certain phases
of the industry are coming to be a
permanent addition to agricultural
production. Krom questionnaires sent
annually to fur farmers, lists of fur-
animal breeders and their addresses
in the United States and Alaska are
compiled. Returns from these ques-
tionnaires indicate that there are ap-
proximately 2,000 farmers in the
United States and Alaska engaged in
the production of one or more species
of fur-bearing animal, the majority
of whom are raising silver and blue
foxes. The total investment in the
business is between $15,000,000 and
$18,000,000.

Constant effort is being made to ob-
tain information essential to the re-
quirements of this growing industry.
fur farms in the United States and
Canada have been visited for the pur-
pose of learning improved methods in
breeding, feeding, and handling fur
animals and to study outbreaks of
contagious disease and parasitic infes-
tation, the latter to enable the bureau
to advise ranchers how to combat simi-
lar outbreaks. A bulletin in press at
the close of the year on blue-fox farm-
ing in Alaska will be of great use to
those engaged in the industry as well
as to those contemplating rearing blue
foxes, either on islands or in fenced
inelosures.

The bureau is also in touch with
the progress of fur farming in foreign
countries, particularly in Europe,
where the industry has had a steady
but quiet growth. During the past
year several shipments of silver, cross,
and red foxes, skunks, raccoons, and
minks haye been made from this coun-
try to Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Eng-
land, France, and Switzerland. Fox
ranches haye been in operation for
several years in Norway and Scot-
land and in the wilder parts of North-
umberland and Yorkshire, England.
The French Government was repre-
sented at the fox show held by the
American National Fox Breeders As-
sociation at Minneapolis by a special

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

commissioner, who purchased several
breeding foxes for use on the disabled
war veterans’ farm at La MHavre,
France.

Fur farms in Alaska.—Of the 10 islands
in southeastern Alaska under the ju-
risdiction of the bureau available for
the propagation of foxes 9 remain
leased, and from reports of operations
the lessees are meeting with fair suc-
cess. Great interest is being mani-
fest in blue-fox farming, and prac-
tically all suitable islands throughout
the southern and southeastern parts
of the Territory will probably be oc-
cupied for the purpose within the
next year. During 1924 more than
200 fur farms, mainly for blue foxes,
were being operated in southeastern
Alaska.

The fact that 92 permits to capture
land fur-bearing animals for propaga-
tion were issued during the year is
indicative of the increasing interest in
this industry on the mainland and in

esoutheastern Alaska. Of these per-
mits 33 were for white foxes, the prop-
agation of which is an extremely
promising venture by residents of the
Seward Peninsula and the coast of
Norton Sound.

At the end of the year 75 permits
had been issued for the production of
foxes in the Aleutian Islands Reserva-
tion. The reports indicate that fur
farmers are meeting with fair suc-
cess, the conditions improving from
year to year.

Experimental fur farm.—The experi-
mental fur farm of the Biological
Survey, at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., is
now fully equipped for carrying on
extensive experiments in feeding,
breeding, and handling fur-bearing
animals as well as for studying their
diseases and parasites. Efforts will
now be directed toward the building
up of a breeding herd of foxes. The
first purebred silver foxes owned by
the Department of Agriculture were
purchased during the year. There
were 23 fox pups born at the experi-
mental fur farm this year,
which are doing well.

Experiments conducted at the farm
have shown that the general princi-
ples of feeding, breeding, and sanita-
tion as they affect the production of
domestic animals can be applied to
the production of fur-bearing animals.
Breeding experiments in progress tend
to prove that the characters of a
“samson” fox (a fox which lacks
the guard hairs and thus produces a
nearly worthless pelt) are inherited
and can be transmitted, rendering
such animals valueless as_ breeders.

all of [|

avg

The wrong kinds of food and of
methods of feeding as well as para-
sitic infestation are factors in produc-
ing inferior pelts, and further experi-
ments are necessary to determine how
they affect the quality of the fur.

Studies of the animals during the
mating, gestation, and whe!ping periods
are being continued, and improved
methods of handling diseased animals
during treatment have been devised
and the data are being assembled for
publication. Information regarding
the tolerance of foxes to various
drugs has been published in an article
in the Journal of Agricultural Re-
search (April, 1924) under the title
“Anthelmintic Efficiency of Carbon
Tetrachlorid in the Treatment of
Foxes.”

Various types of dens and pens
have been constructed at the experi-
mental farm to ascertain the kind best
for the production of foxes in cap-
tivity. Drawings of those found most
practicable have been prepared, and
blue prints will be made available for
free distribution.

During the year many visitors from
all parts of the United States and
Canada have inspected the farm,
which is open to the public from 10
a. m. to 4 p. m. on Wednesdays and
Sundays from June 1 to December 1.

COOPERATIVE WORK

In dealing with the protection of fur
animals in the wild the policy of the
department is one of cooperation and
coordination and not control. The
maintenance of the fur supply in the
wild must be brought about mainly
through the protection afforded by
State laws, but the Biological Survey
by investigations and educational
work in cooperation with the State
officials and others concerned desires
to assist actively in building up the
fur resources.

The legislatures of 41 States were
in session this year and more than a
dozen considered measures affecting
their fur animals. It was possible for
the Biological Survey, in response to
requests, to assist several State game
commissions and other officials and
conservation societies in drafting pro-
posed new laws and revising old ones
for the protection and propagation of
fur bearers.

Other cooperative work included the
attendance of representatives of the
bureau at meetings of conseryvation-
ists, fur traders, and fur farmers,
where, upon request, information and
suggestions were given and coopera-
tion enlisted in matters affecting the

12

protection of the source of supply of
the raw materials of the fur industry.

The bureau has kept in close touch
with the National Association of the
Fur Industry, the American National
Fox Breeders Association, and the
Canadian Silver Fox Breeders Asso-
ciation, and when requested has sent
representatives to their meetings.
Bncouragement has been given to
State fox breeders’ associations to
affiliate with the American National
Fox Breeders Association in order to

build up a stronger and more efficient

supporting organization. The Amer-
ican and the Canadian silver-fox
breeders’ associations have been en-
couraged to enter into a reciprocal ar-
rangement with regard to the regis-
tration of purebred silver foxes.

The annual fur-law bulletin was
published during the year as Farmers’
Bulletin No. 1445.

STATISTICS OF FUR

the
the

Basic statistical data regarding
annual catch of fur animals and
trend of the fur trade have been as-
sembled during the year under a co-
operative agreement between the bu-
reau and the National Association of
the Fur Industry, the results to be
published by the latter in its Yearbook
for 1925. The preliminary work was
nearly completed at the end of the
fiscal year, but the study will be con-
tinued with a view to departmental
publication from time to time of the
information gathered and the deduc-
tions made. In this undertaking,
which is essential to a grasp of the
conditions underlying fur trapping
and the fur industry, the bureau de-
sires the cooperation of all agencies
interested in the fur resources, of
other countries as well as this.

FOOD HABITS RESEARCH
ECONOMIC STATUS OF FISH-EATING
BIRDS

Pelicans—AsS a part of the intensive
study of fish-eating birds, which for
some years has been carried on by
the Biological Survey, an important
field project was conducted at Pyra-
mid Lake, Ney., during the past fiscal
year. Since time immemorial a large
colony of white pelicans has nested
on Anaho Island in that lake. The
colony now numbers about 10,000
adults, which, by reason of interfer-
ence by man, natural enemies, and the
elements, rear less than 1,000 young a
season.

Complaints had been made that the
pelicans at Pyramid Lake were seri-

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ous enemies of trout, the most prized
fish of the region. These charges

-were disproved, however, since only

two trout were found in the food of
the pelican colony during the entire
course of a three-months’ investiga-
tion, and indications were that they
had not been caught alive, but had
been picked from a number of dead
fishes observed at the time in stag-
nant pools along the lower Truckee
River. The fishes most often caught
are the abundant species that swim
near the surface of the water, the
usually deep-lying trout being beyond
reach of the white pelicans, as these
birds rarely dive.

The findings in this investigation
are similar to those resulting from
studies of pelicans in other regions.
The birds seem to subsist almost ex-
clusively upon coarse and common
fishes not used as food by man, and
instead of doing the vast damage
their size and fishing expertness sug-
gest, they are practically harmless,
even in those few places where they
do exist in numbers. At Pyramid
Lake, lake minnows, carp, and lake
chubs are the staple foods of the peli-
cans. with red suckers, Sacramento
perch, and catfish distant seconds in
point of quantity consumed. The loud
complaints against the white pelicans
of Pyramid Lake, as in the case of
the brown pelicans in Florida, are
generally based on the fact that over-
fishing with nets or other means has
greatly reduced the fish supply, and
the blame is placed on these birds
rather than where it belongs.

Night herons. — Another important
study of fish-eating birds was con-
ducted on the Mashpee River, Mass.,
where night herons, probably strag-
glers from a large colony at Barn-
stable, were charged with being de-

structive to trout. Examination of
the stomach contents of 35 of the

birds showed no evidence in support
of the charge, a result agreeing with
careful study made by other investi-
gators of the food of these birds in
the extensive rookery at Barnstable.
There is no evidence that night herons
in Massachusetts ever catch trout ex-
cept where large numbers of the fishes
are confined in small ponds, as at
fish hatcheries, and there is already
in effect under the Federal migratory-
bird treaty act authorization for own-
ers or superintendents or their em-
ployees to destroy the birds at fish
hatcheries.

Mergansers and great blue herons——An
investigation of mergansers, or shel-
drakes, and great blue herons in
Maine showed that both species were

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

feeding -on trout, and recommenda-
tions were made that full-salaried em-
ployees of the State game department
be permitted to shoot birds of these
species, but that the great blue herons
should not be killed or disturbed in
or near their nesting colonies.

Cormorants.—At the close of the fiscal
year a study was in progress of cor-
morant colonies in Minnesota and
North Dakota, which are bitterly com-
plained of by commercial fishermen.

Examinations of the stomachs of
fish-eating birds received at the Wash-
ington laboratory were brought to
date.

STATUS OF OTHER BIRDS

Blackbirds—A comprehensive investi-
gation of the relations of blackbirds
to the rice industry is at last made
possible through the cooperation of
rice growers in the Crowley, La., re-
gion. It is planned to make this
study exhaustive, in order to demon-
strate the exact status of blackbirds
in relation to rice and if possible to
devise practicable methods of control
where needed.

Herring gulls—A study of herring
gulls in Maine revealed that their re-
ported depredations on young lambs
are of very rare occurrence, and that
the devouring of fish: scrap spread for
fertilizer is no longer of importance,
since little fertilizing is now done
there by this method, but that in cer-
tain years the birds do consume note-
worthy quantities of blueberries.
This sporadic destructiveness was not
deemed important enough, however,
to call for control measures at this
time.

FOOD RESOURCES OF WILD FOWL

Surveys of the lakes and marshes of
Minnesota were continued and good
progress made. At the request of the
Pennsylvania board of game commis-
sioners Presque Isle was inspected and
a report rendered on its value as a
feeding ground for wild fowl and up-
land game birds, together with recom-
mendations for improvement.

Back Bay, Va., where a shortage of
wild-duck foods has been a matter of
concern to numerous sportsmen, was
surveyed and the dearth of duck-food
plants was determined to be due to
an increase in the salinity of the
water. The State of Virginia, in
cooperation with sportsmen interested
in the area, has constructed a barrier
which is expected to keep out
storm tides from the ocean, the prin-
cipal source of the salt.

65222—25——3

13

Local inspections of wild-duck food
conditions were made also in two lo-
calities in Maryland and suggestions
made for improvement.

EXAMINATION OF STOMACHS OF BIRDS

The contents of 2,628 bird stomachs
and of 256 owl pellets were analyzed
during the year. Nearly two-thirds of
the stomachs were of English spar-
rows, advancing the study of the
stomachs of this species on hand and
making a total of nearly 10,000
stomachs of this species examined.
This study, to ascertain the present-
day status of the English sparrow, has
been in progress for some years, and
the number of stomachs examined, far
larger than has ever previously been
used to determine the economic status
of any bird, should be sufficient to
yield definite and conclusive results.

Among examinations of special lots
of bird stomachs for correspondents
of the bureau may be mentioned buff-
breasted sandpipers from Manitoba,
wild ducks from Louisiana for the
State conservation commission, and
ruffed grouse from New York for the
State college of forestry.

PROPAGATION OF GAME BIRDS

Supplementary to inspections made
in the latter part of the previous fiscal
year, visits were made to additional
game farms in New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Virginia for the
purpose of studying methods of propa-
gating game birds. The information
gained on these trips, together with
data compiled from various published
sources, has been incorporated in a
manuscript for publication on the
propagation of game birds.

COOPERATIVE QUAIL INVESTIGATION

The cooperative quail investigation
being carried on by the Biological
Survey and a committee of sportsmen
in southern Georgia and northern
Florida is now well along in its sec-
ond year, and interesting and valu-
able results continue to be obtained.
Highty-five quail nests were studied
during the year, the majority by
visiting them as frequently as cir-
cumstances allowed, and a few from
observation blinds. Many detailed
data were gathered on the bobwhite’s
habits and behavior during the nest-
ing season.

It was found that 60 to 75 per cent
of all nests in which eggs are known
to have been deposited were destroyed
by the numerous enemies of bobwhite.
Many of the landowners have started

14

a campaign against the mammals
found to be responsible for the great-
est damage. A trap has been de-
veloped and thoroughly tried out at
the field headquarters of the investi-
gation and built in sufficient quantity
to be used with great success on many
of the plantations.

A total of 1,139 native quail were
netted or trapped and banded during
the year, the exact locations being
marked on large-scale maps of the
areas where the work was carried on.
Of the Mexican quail released on one
of the large preserves, 323 were care-
fully banded also and will be traced
through this method. Other birds,
to the number of 1,021, principally
small seed-eating species wintering or
resident in the region, were _ inci-
dentally caught and banded. A few
‘important returns from the banded
quail have been reported, but no
great numbers are expected until the
next and following shooting seasons.
Valuable and interesting information,
however, has already been obtained by
retrapping banded birds.

Six hundred and sixty-two crops
and gizzards of quail have been col-
lected and temporarily preserved, by
far the larger number from birds shot
by sportsmen during the winter
months, and all preparations com-
pleted for analyses of their contents,
which has-been barely begun. Many
quail were carefully examined during
the hunting season and a series of
weights and other statistics gathered.

As a basis for the food study, effort
has been made to complete as far as
possible the reference collection of
seeds and seed-bearing plants of the
region, and of insects likely to be eaten
- by quail.

Complete propagation equipment,
patterned after that in use on the
Virginia State game farm, where
thousands of young quail are being
raised, was built to accommodate 10
pairs of breeding quail and their ex-
pected progeny, and experimental
propagation is being carried on at the
headquarters of the investigation.
dxperiments are being carried on also
with skunks, opossums, raccoons,
weasels, and other mammals, and of
reptiles suspected of destroying the
nests and eggs of quail, and 10 pens
for their accommodation have been
built, as well as a large pen in which
the actual experimenting is conducted.

A pamphlet detailing the progress
of the investigation during its first
half year was published by the co-
operating committee under the title

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

oo Progress on Cooperative Quail In-
vestigation, 1924.” :

MISCELLANEOUS INVESTIGATIONS

Plans to investigate the reported
destruction of birds by insect-poison-
ing operations in cotton fields were
rendered largely futile by drought,
which itself kept down the numbers
of boll weevils and made poisoning
unnecessary.

The increasing use of cyanide dust
against pests, together with reports of
its successful use against objection-
able roosts of birds, suggested its trial
where birds are roosting about build-
ings. In experiments on starlings and
pigeons it was found that great execu-
tion can be effected where the roost-
ing site is protected from air currents
and more or less overhung by struc-
tures that will partially confine the
gas.

Brief field investigations not pre-
viously mentioned included inquiry
into reported damage to newly sown
grain and to small fruits by band-
tailed pigeons in Washington, Oregon,
and California, and alleged destruc-
tion of trout by mergansers in Cali-
fornia. The results of field investi-
gations of these complaints usually
failed to substantiate the charges.

Manuscripts submitted for publica-
tion during the’ year in addition to
that on the propagation of game birds,
previously mentioned, were an exten-
sive treatise on the local control of
birds with special reference to crop
protection and a brief one on natural
land values for incorporation in a
general report on the pine-woods sec-
tion of the southern United States.

A department bulletin on ‘“ Food
Habits of Some Winter Bird Visi-
tants”’ was published during the year,
and there were in press at the close
of the year bulletins on ‘‘ Food of the
American Phalaropes, Avocets, and
Stilts,” ‘Food Habits of the Vireos, a
Family of Insectivorous Birds”; and
“Homes .for Birds.”

FOOD OF MAMMALS AND AMPHIBIANS

Stomachs of mammals examined
during the year included those of deer
from the Kaibab National Yorest,
where large numbers of these animals
were threatened with starvation ; of va-
rious small mammals, mostly skunks,
for the Museum of Vertebrate Zool-
ogy, Berkeley, Calif.; and of a moun-
tain lion from the State of Washing-
ton, which contained human remains
and constitutes one of the very few

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

authentications of attacks of this ani-
mal upon man.

Stomachs of 340 toads, frogs, and
salamanders were examined during
the year. In all, the contents of the
stomachs of about 2,900 toads have
been analyzed, representing 29 species
and all forms found in North America
north of Panama. Fourteen species
of the more uncommon West Indian
toads were not available, but all the
others were studied, and every species
occurring within the United States
was represented by an adequate se-
ries. The food taken by toads is so
varied that it required nearly 10,000
index cards to record the information
obtained. The preparation of item-
ized lists of stomach contents of the
various species is now in progress and
the tabulation of percentages of types
of food has been completed.

BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Field investigations and technical
laboratory studies of North American
birds and mammals have occupied
much of the time of the scientific
force of this division throughout the
year. Assistance in solving problems
of identification, distribution, migra-
tion, and life histories of birds and
mammals has been given on request
to scientific and educational institu-
tions, public and private museums,
and individuals throughout the coun-
try, and to some extent in foreign
countries. More than 1,500,000 cards
bearing data on these subjects and
pertaining to a majority of the ap-
proximately 3,500 forms of birds and
2,500 of mammals known to inhabit
North America north of Panama are
now in the files of the bureau. These
files, which are daily drawn upon to
answer correspondence on a multi-
plicity of subjects, and are _ indis-
pensable in the administration of the
work of the bureau, represent the
accumulation of many years, and,
gathered as they are from a great
variety of sources, they form an un-
equaled repository of information.

TECHNICAL STUDIES OF MAMMALS

Continued substantial progress was
made on a monograph on the ground
squirrels of the genus Citellus and
their relatives, a group of animals of
great economic importance because of
the millions of dollars damage they
do to crops and forage, and of the
fact that certain species are carriers
of pneumonic and bubonic plagues
and spotted fever. The desirability
of learning as much as possible of

t

15

the distribution and habits of species
of such enormous destructive poten-
tialities is obvious.

A revision of another interesting
group, the long-tailed shrews (Sorex
and related genera), is virtually com-
pleted. These little animals, almost
entirely insectivorous, are doubtless of
some economic importance, although
their food habits are not sufficiently
known to justify the formulation of
definite conclusions. Studies of the
kangaroo rats of the genera Dipo-
domys and Microdipodops, a group of
marked economic importance, are also
progressing. A revision of the pikas
(Ochotona) (North American Fauna
No. 47) was published during the
year, and a technical study of a typi-
eally western species of meadow
mouse (Microtus montanus yosemite)
also appeared (Journal of Agricul-
tural Research, June, 1924).

BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF STATES

No important field work in surveys
of States was possible except in
Florida, special attention being given
in the spring of 1925 to the breed-
ing ranges of important species in
the northern and central parts of the
State. Data have been obtained for
the preparation of an _ extensively
annotated report on the birds of the
State, and tentative plans have been
made with a State institution for its
publication. In several other States
work primarily concerned with other
lines of investigation has added im-
portant data to those previously accu-
mulated, thus augmenting the value
of the ultimate reports.

Completed manuscripts on the mam-
mals of North Dakota and of New
Mexico and on the birds of Texas and
of New Mexico are still unpublished.
In ‘the case of the last named there is
prospect of its publication in coopera-
tion with State organizations, and the
manuscript is now being brought up
to date. Other reports well advanced
include fully annotated lists of the
mammals of Oregon, the birds of
North Dakota, and the birds and the
mammals of the State of Washington.

NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF ALASKA
PENINSULA AND UNIMAK ISLAND

In the spring and summer of 1925 a
cooperative expedition made a survey
of the wild life in the western part of
Alaska Peninsula and Unimak Island,
the easternmost of the Aleutian Chain
lying within the great Aleutian Res-
ervation. This region lies within the
northern breeding grounds of various

16

species of migratory wild fowl and is
inhabited by many caribou and large
brown bears.
caribou there within recent years and
the visits of many hunting parties in
pursuit of brown bears made desirable
a study of conditions by a competent
naturalist to afford a basis for any
proposed action for the further pro-
tection of the wild life in one of the
least known parts of Alaska.

DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION OF
BIRDS

Data on the movements of birds
have been received from about 175
volunteer observers throughout this
country and in many parts of Canada,
many of whom have sent in‘ similar
reports for a number of years. A re-
port on the distribution and migra-
tion of the swallows, a group of great
economic importance, is in prepara-
tion. :

During the year a circular was pub-
lished on ‘The Spread of the Huro-
pean Starling. in North America”
(Department Circular 336). This bird
is becoming familiar in the Hastern
and Northeastern States, although it
was established in this country only
as recently as 1890. It is of local oc-
eurrence as far west as central Ohio
and south to Georgia and Alabama,
but many years may elapse before the
bird becomes sufficiently numerous to
be of economic importance west of the
Alleghenies.

BIRD CENSUSES

Bird censuses, actual enumerations
of pairs of birds breeding on certain
representative areas, usually occupied
farm lands, were received from about
70 observers, scattered over a large
part of the country. The most valu-
able were taken on areas reported on
during previous seasons, usually « by
the same persons. A _ sufficient num-
ber of such observations will make
possible a useful estimate of the total
bird population of the country, and
to this end efforts are being made to
increase the number of these volun-
teer enumerators.

BIRD BANDING

Notable progress has been shown
during the fifth year of the bird-band-
ing operations as carried on by the
Biological Survey. As a means of
gathering data on the seasonal and
local movements of birds, experience
with the banding method has fully
justified expectations. The number of
volunteer cooperators has increased
to about 1,100, despite the fact that

The rapid decrease of.

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

the conditions governing their selec-
tion have been made more rigid. The
number of Canadian cooperators is
97. The total number of birds banded
during the year was 64,253, and the
number of returns recorded was 3,187,
as against 40,432 and approximately
2,000, respectively, last year.

The regional cooperative associa-
tions established to promote interest
among the members have shown
marked activity. The Northeastern
and the Hastern Bird Banding As-
sociations have begun to issue bulletins
which promise to become increasingly
useful. The Inland and the North-
eastern Associations have made spe-
cial efforts to band gulls, terns, and
night herons, resulting in the accumu-
lation of important information. The
Western Bird Banding Association
was formed by a reorganization of the
banding chapter of the Cooper Orni-
thological Club.

A report entitled ‘“‘ Returns from
Banded Birds, 1920 to 1923” (De-
partment Bulletin No. 1268), which
appeared early in the year, gives the
details of the recovery during four
years of 1,746 birds of 98 species.
The data obtained by banding, espe-
cially those relating to ducks and other
game species, furnish important in-
formation in connection with the ad-
ministration of the migratory-bird
treaty act.

The cooperative expedition sent to
the Yukon Delta region in the sum-
mer of 1924 afforded opportunity not
only to band numbers of game birds
which breed in that section and winter
in the Western States and farther
south, but also to obtain valuable data
on distribution and breeding habits.
The banding work was especially suc-
cessful in the case of the cackling
goose, a bird which breeds mainly in
this section, and which was captured
in considerable numbers by the aid of
a party of resident Eskimos. From
these banded birds an exceptionally
large percentage of returns was ob-
tained in a rather limited area in
California, suggesting the desirability
of guarding carefully such species as
breed and winter in comparatively re-
stricted areas.

GAME IN NATIONAL PARKS AND
FORESTS

During the latter half of August a
representative of the bureau accom-
panied a committee appointed by the
Secretary of Agriculture to make an
investigation of the conditions af-
fecting mule deer on the Grand
Canyon National Game Preserve in

; BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

Arizona. The deer were found to be
in a very serious condition because
of overgrazing of the range, combined
with a continued increase in the
numbers of the animals. Recom-
mendations were made for the reduc-
tion of the herds to avoid further
losses. These studies were followed in
June, 1925, by another investigation,
in cooperation with the Forest Serv-
ice and the National Park Service, of
the critical game problem that has
developed. This work remained un-
finished at the close of the fiscal year.
Late in October and early in No-
vember, in cooperation with the Forest
' Service and the National Park Serv-
ice, an assistant made a _ thorough
study of the elk situation in the Galla-
tin Valley in northeastern Yellow-
stone Park and the adjacent parts of
Montana, with special reference to
winter conditions. It was found that
the Gallatin Valley could well sup-
port a larger elk population than now
winter there, and measures to increase
these numbers were recommended.

INTRODUCTION OF TROPICAL GAME
BIRDS

Attempts were continued to capture
and transport from Guatemala living
examples of ocellated turkeys, curas-
sows, and tinamous to Sapeloe Island,
Ga., the expense being borne by How-
ard E. Coffin, who is cooperating with
the bureau in the work. The turkeys
obtained during the summer of 1924
all died, but it was determined to
spend another season in a final effort.
Reports from the field state that at the
end of June more than a dozen living
ocellated turkeys were on hand and
that about the same number of eggs
were being incubated. During the
last two breeding seasons chachala-
cas from northeastern Mexico have
bred freely in the forests of Sapeloe
Island, where they appear thoroughly
at home.

STUDIES OF INJURIOUS RODENTS

Fenced quadrats established in Ari-
zona several years ago for studying
the relation of rodents to agriculture,
horticulture, and forestry have been
kept under observation. The results
of investigations of damage to range
grasses by the Zuni prairie dog, based
on this work, were published during
the year as Department Bulletin No.
1227.

Investigations also were made of
the relation of the porcupine and other
rodents to reforestation in the South-
west, the relation of jack rabbits to

LT

agriculture and stock raising, and the
habits of certain species of injurious
rodents peculiar to the northwest
coast region. The porcupine is one of
the rodents now known to increase
periodically to excessive numbers in
certain regions, after which through
an epizootic disease it may be reduced
nearly to point of extermination.
Porcupines in many western forests
have recently become so abundant
that they are destroying timber on a
very large scale by girdling, and their
effective control is a serious problem
pressing for solution.

Studies in cooperation with the
Pennsylvania Game Commission dem-
onstrated the feasibility of capturing
and moving beavers to locations
where they are not objectionable.

At the instance of the Louisiana
Conservation Commission a coopera-
tive study of the status of the musk-
rat has been begun in that State, and
interesting results are expected.
Marshland areas in the southern part
of Louisiana produce immense num-
bers of these valuable fur bearers,
greater monetary returns from which
might be realized if more were known
of the factors governing their abun-
dance. The bureau therefore selected
a naturalist who will spend at least a
year studying the life habits of the
muskrat and other resources of the
marshes in order to learn as much as
possible of their interrelationships.
This work will be supervised from
time to time by representatives of the
bureau.

ALASKA GAME AND LAND FUR ANIMALS

THE ALASKA GAME COMMISSION

A most notable conservation meas-
ure passed by the last session of the
Sixty-eighth Congress and signed by
the President on January 13, 1925,
was the Alaska game law. The Dill
was formulated with the benefit of
suggestions and advice from many
sportsmen and conservationists, not
only among residents of Alaska but
also in the United States, who were
directly interested in the maintenance
of the wild life in that great area.
The law is one of the most complete
and effective of its kind ever enacted,
and through it the game and fur
resources of the Territory should not
only be maintained but increased.
Vast areas in Alaska are of such a
character that wilderness conditions
with game and fur-bearing animals
will undoubtedly persist there indefi-
nitely.

18

One of the most important provi-
sions of the law was the establish-
ment of an Alaska Game Commis-
sion of five members to be appointed
by the Secretary of Agriculture, one
from each of the four judicial divi-
sions of the Territory, the fifth mem-
ber under the terms of the law to be
the chief representative of the Bio-
logical Survey resident in Alaska, who
becomes its executive officer and fiscal
agent.

The members of the commission
have shown the greatest interest in
the responsibilities placed in their
hands, and the outcome of their first
meeting, held in April, 1925, was the
recommendation for adoption by the
Secretary of Agriculture of a most
comprehensive set of regulations goy-
erning the taking of Alaska game and
fur bearers. These have been pub-
lished as a Service and Regulatory
Announcement (No. 1) of the Alaska
Game Commission. Under the guar-
dianship of resident commissioners ap-
pointed by the Secretary of Agricul-
ture, who will have available for their
use the vast store of information on
birds and mammals in the files of the
department and the close cooperation
of the Biological Survey, there is a
much brighter outlook for the future
of Alaskan wild life.

LARGE GAME ANIMALS

Game on Unimak Island—It is planned
to hold Unimak Island, the eastern-
most of the Aleutian Islands Reser-
vation, as a big-game refuge, where
caribou and big brown bears may re-
main long after they have disappeared
from many other parts of their range.
This island, which is about 75 miles
long and 25 miles wide and is made
up of moderate slopes and broken
mountain country, still maintains a
considerable number of Grant caribou
and brown bears. The wild life of the
Alaska Peninsula may be affected ad-
versely by the development of oil
wells and other industries, and the
policy of continued protection on Uni-

mak Island should insure the per-
petuation of some of the big-game
animals of that region on part of
their original range.

Stocking game areas—The Alaska
Legislature at its recent session
appropriated $10,000 to be used

by the Alaska Game Commission in
stocking islands and other areas with
game and fur bearers not already ex-
isting there. A general survey has
been made of the opportunities, and
by the stocking of many islands now
lacking in various valuable species

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

thus made possible, a considerable in-
crease can be brought about in the
game and fur production of the Ter-

_vitory.

Starving deer saved. — During the
winter of 1925 an extraordinarily
heavy snowfall on the islands of south-
eastern Alaska forced great numbers
of Sitka deer down to the beaches,
where, in serious danger of starva-
tion, they were feeding only on the sea-
weed exposed at low tide. This seri-
ous situation was called to the at-
tention of the bureau by radiograms
from its employees and from the
heads of chambers of commerce of
Juneau and other towns, one tele-
gram stating that 160 carcasses of deer
had been found in a single locality.

Unfortunately the department had
no funds which could be legally used
for saving the deer, but at once
brought the situation to the attention
of conservationists, and a prompt re-
sponse came with contributions ob-
tained by the president of the National
Association of Audubon Societies from
friends, including members of the
conservation committee of the Camp
Fire Club of America; the president
of the American Game Protective As-
sociation added $250 and the president -
of the American Humane Association
of Albany $500, making a total of
$2,319. This was promptly made
available to the representative of the
Biological Survey at Juneau.

A supply of baled alfalfa hay was
purchased, and with the cooperation
of the people of that region, including
representatives of the Forest Service
and the Bureau of Fisheries, trees
were cut for forage, hay was distrib-
uted along beaches frequented .by the
deer, and other measures taken for
the benefit of the starving animals,
with the result that instead of the
loss of whole herds, a very large num-
ber were saved to perpetuate in the
region a valuable game species.

LAND FUR ANIMALS

Shipments of fur.—Despite the trap-
ping of large numbers of fur animals
every year, reports by postmasters and
agents of transportation companies of
shipments of furs from Alaska from
December 1, 1923, to December 31,
1924, indicate that the land fur bear-
ers continue to hold their own. except
muskrats, which show a decrease of
25.558 from the figures for the year
ended November 30, 1923. This de-
crease, together with the close season
on beavers and martens, resulted in
a slight decrease in the total number

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

and value of pelts shipped. The num-
ber exported in 1924 was 285,545,
valued at $1,657,448, as against 396,-
369. valued at $1,702,000, in 1923.
Skins brought out of the Territory as
personal baggage by travelers and by
vessels not reporting them, and skins
of blue and white foxes from the

19

Pribilof Islands, which are under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Fisher-
ies, and furs used in the Territory
will no doubt bring the value of land
furs taken in 1924 fully up to $2,000,-
000, if not more.

The number and value of the prin-
cipal pelts are as follows:

Number and value of the principal pelts shipped from Alaska during the period

December 1, 1923, to

December 31, 1924

Kind of fur Number! Value Kind of fur Number! Value
TS = Se eS ee es 395356); $384,020) || Beaver-_-...---.-...-.-. 22 -- 5,713 | $114, 260
Leto UO (oy agk Galak Bae 13, 353 2077 O60 ||| davies. ©. elit) Te 3, 323 73, 106
Wihiterfox sts 275i eres 5, 728 229,120 || Silver-gray fox..._...-.--:---- 372 46, 500
IAG Pe ce eT 194, 053 194053 | STOSS OX oe tots 2 so 1, 284 44, 940
RIM ae 6, 019 1508751 Otter (and). s220 08 2a oe 1, 950 43, 875
Sh al alt Ba EE 1, 640 131, 200 || Weasel (ermine)_-_.-..-_-_--_- 10, 724 16, 086

Seizures and prosecutions.—lorty-three
cases involving violations of the game
and fur laws and regulations in
Alaska were reported during the year,
of which 5 were violations of the
migratory-bird treaty act and regula-
tions, 18 of the Alaska game law and
regulations, and 20 of the fur law and
regulations. Of these 43 cases 3 were
dismissed, 3 are still pending, and in
only 1 case did the grand jury fail to
indict. Nineteen seizures and con-
fiscations were made, consisting of 335
beaver skins, 6 red-fox skins, 3 guns,
and 1 trap. Fines amounting to
$716.50 were imposed, ranging from
$10 to $200, not including costs, and
three violators were given jail sen-
tences.

Patrol work by boats—The bureau’s
sea-going power boat Sea Otter was on
extended patrol work in the adminis-
tration of game and fur laws in south-

eastern Alaska during the year, being.

away from its headquarters at Juneau
207 days and traveling 7,848 nautical
miles. Fur farms were visited and
the fox farmers assisted and given all
information possible. At the close of
the preceding fiscal year a small
power boat, the Marten, 30 feet in
length, was purchased for patrol
work in the enforcement of game and
fur laws in the waters of southern
Alaska, principally Cook Inlet. This
boat traveled 2,281 miles during 97
days’ absence from its base of opera-
tions at Anchorage.

REINDEER INVESTIGATIONS

Investigations among the reindeer
herds continued throughout the year,
covering the occupied ranges from the
Yukon Valley northward along the
coasts of Bering Sea and the Arctic

Ocean. The assistant chief of the bu-
reau spent most of the summer of
1924 visiting reindeer ranges as far as
Kotzebue Sound to learn the condi-
tions with which the bureau must deal.
The bureau representatives assisted
in round-ups of herds and conferred
with native and white owners as to
range management and as to means
for finding a more ready market for
the surplus animals. The increase in
the herds has far outgrown local de-
mands for reindeer meat, and it is be-
coming urgently necessary that some
way be found to dispose of the surplus
animals in the herds of the Eskimos
as well as of the white owners by
establishing cold-storage plants at
proper intervals and erecting corrals
with suitably constructed chutes.
The natives are showing a good spirit
of cooperation with the bureau’s
agents in working out their problems.

From surveys made during the year
it is estimated that there are about
350,000 reindeer in Alaska in 110
herds. Numerous reindeer herds were
visited and suggestions made for im-
proving methods of handling the ani-
mals on the range and for the proper
reduction in number and selection of
bulls, and improved methods of brand-
ing and of castration.

Observations of range-study quad-
rats and of the abundance and dis-
tribution of forage plants continued.
Many of the reindeer herds which bu-
reau agents had visited before show
marked improvement as a result of
suggestions for better care and han-
dling. Little effort has been found
necessary to induce native herd own-
ers, when once convinced, to cooperate
in adopting improved methods in herd
management.

20

The transfer of the Reindeer Ex-
periment Station from Nome to Fair-
banks will be completed early in
August, and another assistant has
been added to the reindeer force.
Plans are being worked out to con-
duet the station as far as practicable
in cooperation with the Alaska Agri-
cultural College and School of Mines.
It is desired to conduct investigations
at the college in crossing caribou with
reindeer and experiments in winter-
ing reindeer on range forage other
than lichens, as well as to make de-
tailed plant studies and experiments
in interior grazing. It is also desired
to maintain under observation a small
experimental herd in an_ inclosure
within the agricultural college
grounds. Cooperative studies in range
management, forage, and reindeer
breeding should be of material aid in
the development of the reindeer in-
dustry in the Territory.

Caribou - breeding experiments. —— After
considerable effort 10 young caribou
bulls have been placed on Nunivak
Island for breeding experiments. All
reindeer bulls will be eliminated from
this herd and studies made of the
effect on the strain of reindeer by
the addition of the caribou bulls.
The animals were captured and held
until spring in a reindeer herd near
Kokrines and then transported down
the Yukon River on a barge as far as
Old Hamilton, below Holy Cross, un-
der the supervision of a bureau agent,
and from that point to Nunivak Island
on the bureau’s schooner Hazel, used
in reindeer work along the Bering
Sea coast. In the contract for the
capture of the caribou bulls for this
experiment they were to be tamed and
halter broken so as to lead readily.
This was done without difficulty.
These young bulls were distinctly
larger than reindeer bulis of the same
age. They were also more heavily
boned than the reindeer, which should
be helpful in giving the crossbred
animals a heavier frame and one less
subject to the injury in handling so
frequent among reindeer.

The manuscript was completed dur-
ing the year for a second bulletin on
reindeer grazing and range manage-
ment in Alaska, to bring up to date
the investigations on that subject.

STOCK GRAZING ON THE ALEUTIAN
ISLANDS

Owing to a comparatively mild,
humid climate, there is excellent for-
age production on most of the Aleu-
tian Islands, although climatic condi-
tions are such that trees and large
shrubs do not grow there. The forage

‘as Department Bulletin No.

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

production has interested certain
stock growers, and eight permits have
been issued by the Secretary of Agri-

culture to companies and individuals

permitting the use of several of the
islands for grazing sheep and other
livestock. When properly cared for
in winter, sheep thrive well on the
islands and produce a heavy yield of
wool. Heavy losses were experienced
at first among sheep placed on the
western end of Unalaska Island, but
these difficulties are being overcome,
and one of the flock owners reports
practically 100 per cent increase of
lambs during the spring of 1925. Plans
are being made to increase largely the
herds on the islands in the spring
ef 1926. Should the present favor-
able outlook be confirmed there will be
opportunity on the islands for several
hundred thousand sheep, which will
thus render useful a considerable
number of islands which are other-
wise from an economic point of view
of comparatively little value.

GAME AND BIRD REFUGES

The number of game and bird re-
fuges under the jurisdiction of the
bureau is 69, to which will be added
the Upper Mississippi River Wild Life
and Fish Refuge, the acquisition of
which has been authorized by Con-
eress. Inspections were made of the
5 big-game preserves and of several
of the 64 bird refuges.

BIG-GAME REFUGES

The report on the status of the
pronghorned antelope on the Federal
big-game refuges and on other areas
throughout western United States,
Canada, and Mexico was in press at
the close of the year and will appear
1346.
The census of antelope for this bul-
letin gives a total of about 30,000
existing on this continent early in
1924, a good basis for their conser-
vation. :

Nine antelope were shipped in Sep-
tember to the National Bison Range,
Mont.: 10 to the Niobrara Reserva-
tion, Nebr.; and 12 to the Grand
Canyon National Park, Ariz. ; all from
Reno, Ney., collected on the open
range under authorization of the Goy-
ernor of Nevada. This is the first
time that antelope fawns have been
captured in considerable numbers for
restocking purposes so promptly after
birth, and the experiment was suc-
cessful. A few of the fawns injured
or killed themselves while in cap-
tivity, but the majority survived in
fine condition.

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

The principal activity during the
year on the big-game refuges was the
disposal of surplus buffalo and elk at
the National Bison Range, Mont. ;
Wind Cave National Game Preserve,
S. Dak.; Niobrara Reservation, Nebr. ;
and Sullys Hill National Game Pre-
serve, N. Dak. Some of the animals
were sold for breeding or exhibition
purposes, including 40 buffalo from the
B’son Range to start a herd on a large

21

estate in central California, but the
greater number for their meat, owing
to a lack of demand for them alive.
The sale of surplus animals from the
four fenced refuges netted an amount
within a few hundred dollars of the
eost of their administration.

The accompanying tables show the
number of big-game animals on the
reservations maintained by the Bio-
logical Survey:

Big-game animals on refuges administered by the Biological Survey at the close
of the calendar years from 1916 to 1925 (in 1925 to June 30 only)

White-
airs Mule : Moun-
Year Buffalo Elk Antelope ddr tA tain sheep Total
"4 |
206 165 47 2 Kh eee ee 423
251 205 57 | 2 6) | ees 521
311 261 | 55 | 15 8) eee 650
381 345 54 21 Qa) & ee 810
431 433 65 | 27 ti Sh ees eee 961
508 519 | 91 54 y ALS) Re ees See 1,193
603 1608 21 | 152 131 15 | 1, 330
717 1657 16 | 162 127 20 1, 499
675 1794 25 | 182 127 28 1, 631
723 1902 30 | 180 127 138 1, 800
|

1Estimated.

Distribution on June 80, 1925, of big-game animals on refuges administered by
the Biological Survey

Kind of game we aes Niobrara Sila Total

Ley y ba NC ee ee Se Pe ee eee ee 532 121 58 12 723
Rs ee an ae ee an a ee ee 1600 1200 59 1 43 1902
IASITOLOP Ose Seek Eg are Sab SVEC ESS A a ST 8 12 OME so Secehe S 30
Deer, mule. 220 eat Pe eo ealre US0ul ola: de a ee ee ee 180
Dears whiteztailedes ih - Fa eae A ek ee 1 Sl eh See Re 1 1 127
BVFOUNtAIN) SHEGD sees Se oe aban 2 ae NERS MOBS ere SERRA Bee 138

Potala 24 Fase eee reef im hee | 1, 283 333 128 56 1, 800

1 Estimated.

National Bison Range, Mont.—It was es-
timated near the end of June, 1925,
that this range contained 532 buffalo,
of which 64 are calves of this season,
600 elk, 80 mule deer, 25 white-tailed
deer, 38 mountain sheep (20 adult
animals, 8 yearlings, and 10 lambs of
this season), and 8 antelope. The
figures given for buffalo are approxi-
mately correct, but for elk, deer, and
lambs in the herd of mountain sheep
they are only estimates, since no
definite count could be made.

The count of buffalo on June 30
showed 64 living calves and 8 dead,
compared with 100 calves living at
the same time last year. One hun-
dred and fifty-two buffalo bulls and
24 cows, surplus animals in the herd,
were killed and disposed of as meat
during the fall and winter, and 45

living buffalo were shipped to other
parks and ranches for breeding and
exhibit purposes. Three bulls, 4 cows,
and 13 calves (including those still-
born) died on the range.

The buffalo herd is now under con-
trol, so it can be moved readily from
one part of the range to another.
Two employees of the bureau penned
two divisions of the herd, totaling 425
animals, the first day that the work
of corralling was undertaken, and
while in the corrals the animals could
be moved from one pen to another and
one or more could be separated from
the herd at any time. It has even
been possible to milk a couple of the
COWS.

Three experimental elk drives were
made during the progress of corralling
the buffalo, and it is believed that

22

after trap corrals for the elk are com-
pleted it will be possible to pen a
considerable percentage of them. Elk
ealves seem to be numerous, and there
is one albino yearling on the range.
Losses in the elk herd during the year
so far as known were two bulls and
one cow.

Because of the difficulty of making
an accurate count no increase is re-
ported in the number of deer on the
range, but it is believed that each
year practically as many are lost
through their jumping the outside
fences as are raised.

So far as known no losses cecurred
in the band of mountain sheep. Ewes
with lambs have been seen in the
rugged section favored by sheep, but
no complete count of the lambs was
possible.

The antelope received at the range
from Nevada in September are doing
well and have the run of the pasture
east of headquarters, which includes
3 or 4 acres of alfalfa.

Of birds on this reservation, Chi-
nese pheasants and sharp-tailed grouse
seem to have hatched well, but only
one or two pairs of Hungarian part-
ridges were seen during the spring,
and wild ducks were fewer last fall
and winter than during the previous
year. The increased forage growth
has given all birds much better food
and cover.

Wind Cave National Game Preserve, S.
Dak—Game animals on this refuge
number 121 buffalo, including 17
calves; approximately 200 elk and 12
antelope. Two old mule deer for-
merly on the refuge were not seen
during the year. All the animals are
in excellent condition and an ex-
tremely rainy season has produced
better pasturage for them than at any
time in 10 years.

During the winter 17 buffalo and
42 elk were killed and disposed of as
meat, and 3 buffalo and 9 elk were
transported to various parts of the
country for exhibition and restocking
purposes. Two buffalo and 5 elk died
from natural causes, and 2 bull elk
and 5 cows were killed accidentally.
One antelope died last summer, and
1, a tame buck from Nevada, was
added. The antelope are doing well
and there are at least 5 fawns in the
band.

Elk Refuge, Wyo.— During the summer
of 1924, 452 tons of hay were har-
vested and stacked on this refuge.
This was far less than a normal crop,
because of the dry summer and lack
of sufficient water for irrigation.
There were 683 tons left over from
the previous year, however, and the

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

State had on hand 618 tons. The
State later purchased 581 tons and
pasture rights to 400 acres, so that at
the beginning of the winter 2,334 tons

‘of hay were available for feeding the

elk coming to the refuge and vicinity
during the winter and additional pas-
turage areas provided.

On October 10 a heavy three-day
fall of snow forced many elk down
from the mountains into the valleys,.
and the first band, 5 in number, ar-
rived at the refuge on October 12.
During the next few days several
hundred appeared, and in January ap-
proximately 5,500 were on the feeding
grounds, eating an average of 16 tons
of hay a day. During the winter the
elk were fed approximately 1,189 tons,
of which 628 tons were Government
owned and 561 tons the property of
the State. Many of the elk left the
feeding grounds and scattered over
the refuge and adjoining ranches dur-
ing the latter part of January, when
the weather moderated to an unusual
extent for that time of year, with
warm south winds and rainstorms
melting much of the snow. Some of
the animals trailed back to the foot-
hills, where they found sufficient for-
age during the rest of the winter, and
the quantity of hay fed was dimin-
ished accordingly. The weather con-
tinued mild during the remainder of
the winter, and feeding at the refuge
ended on March 28. About 507 tons
of hay in the stack remain on hand at
the refuge, and the State has 6388 tons.
available for next winter.

Ranches in the vicinity of the
refuge, aggregating 1,760 acres, have
recently been purchased by the Izaak
Walton League of America, and will
make additional land available to the
elk and increase materially the hay
harvested for feeding them next
winter. A count of the elk in the
Jackson Hole herd made in Webru-
ary and March by employees of the
Forest Service, State game commis-
sioners, and the warden of the refuge
showed a total of 19,483 in the region.
The fawn crop the spring of 1925 was
a large one, and the southern Yellow-
stone elk herds on June 30, 1925, prob-
ably numbered not less than 25,000
animals. It is probable, therefore,
that an extremely hard winter in the
near future would bring more than
12,000 of these animals into the valley
for feed, most of them to the elk
refuge. If so large a number should
have to be fed over a 90-day period,
it is estimated that more than 38,700
tons of hay would be required.

Sullys Hill National Game Preserves, N.
Dak.— At this refuge are 12 buffalo, in-

BUREAU Of BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

cluding 1 calf of this season, approxi-
mately 43 elk, and 1 white-tailed deer.
All are in excellent condition, and the
grass for them on the refuge is plenti-
ful. A 4-year-old buffalo bull was
presented to the City Park at Minot,
N. Dak., and 2 surplus buffalo and 20
elk were killed and disposed of as
meat.

Game birds in captivity at this
refuge include: Six Canada geese, ap-
proximately 75 mallard ducks, 5 wood
ducks, 6 adult Chinese pheasants,
from which there has been an in-
crease of 20 this season, and 1 golden
pheasant.

A new road 17 miles long is being
constructed between Devils Lake, N.
Dak., and a point on the Federal-aid
road in Benson County north of
Sheyenne known locally as the Devils
Lake-Fort Totten Highway, and the
Biological Survey is cooperating with
the Bureau of Public Roads in the
construction of a portion of it which
runs through the refuge. During the
year 8,798 persons visited the refuge,
and the new highway will undoubtedly
greatly increase the number.

Improvements completed during the
year include a winter bird house for
water birds, with an acre and a half
about it cleared and fenced for a bird
yard, erection of additional nesting
boxes for tree-nesting ducks and for
song birds, and the construction of
dams to make two ponds for the ducks.
A pavilion was built on the picnic
grounds for visitors to the reserva-
tion, the parking grounds were en-
jarged, and various minor improvye-
ments made.

Niobrara Reservation, Nebr—The game
animals on the reservation on June 30
included 58 buffalo ; 59 elk, besides the
calves of this year which have not
yet been counted; 10 antelope, re-
ceived in September from Nevada and
in a thriving condition; and 1 white-
tailed deer, which is the constant
companion of the antelope. Nine sur-
plus animals, 2 buffalo and 7 elk, were
killed and dressed for market during
the year.

In March, 6 wild turkeys (2 gobblers
and 4 hens) were received from the
Wichita Game Preserve, Okla., and
placed in temporary pens until May,
when they were turned out on the
reservation. Prairie chickens and
sharp-tailed grouse are numerous, and
many nests have been found on the
prairie. Two broods of grouse were
reared in the alfalfa close to head-
- quarters. As it had been four win-
ters since they had suffered much
loss, the quail were plentiful. Three
combined shelters and feeding stations

23

were provided, and quail feeding con-
tinued throughout the winter.

The Nebraska Bureau of Fish and
Game, under authority from this de-
partment, built three temporary earth-
work dams across the spring runs,
creating three ponds in which young
trout and bass have been placed, in
an experiment which it is hoped will
result in furnishing a valuable addi-
tion to the fish production of the
State.

BIRD REFUGES

Regulations pertaining to the collec-
tion of birds and their nests and eggs
on Federal bird refuges for scientific
and propagating purposes were amend-
ed by the Secretary to permit the kill-
ing of predatory animals and birds
of prey by employees of the Biological
Survey, in accordance with the laws
of the State or Territory in which
situated and at such times as the chief
of bureau may designate. Conditions
on the 64 bird refuges administered
by the Biological Survey are not de-
tailed in the present report. A list of
these refuges, together with bird and
game refuges on other national reser-
vations, has been revised during the
year and will be available in mimeo-
graphed form shortly.

UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER WILD LIFE
AND FISH REFUGE

A bill approved by the President on
June 7, 1924, authorized the appro-
priation of $1,500,000 for the purchase
of overflowed lands on both sides of the
Mississippi River lying within Illinois,
Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota for
a distance of about 300 miles between
Rock Island, Ill., and Wabasha, Minn.,
to form a wild-life and fish refuge,
the administration of the bird, mam-
mal, and plant life to be by the De-
partment of Agriculture through this
bureau, and the administration of the
fish, fresh-water mussels which are
the basis of an extensive pearl-button
industry, and other aquatic life to be
under the Bureau of Fisheries of the
Department of Commerce.

At the last session of Congress
$375,000 was appropriated for use dur-
ing the fiscal year beginning July 1,
1925, for initiating the purchase of
lands for the formation of this refuge.
The great importance of setting aside
this area mainly for the benefit of
migratory wild fowl and the game
fishes of the upper Mississippi Valley
and saving them for posterity was
called to the attention of the public
by the Izaak Walton League, which
gave the project such enthusiastic
backing that Congress responded

24

favorably to their desires. There is
a fine opportunity here for maintain-
ing a superb wild-life refuge, a por-
tion of which will be held strictly
as inviolable sanctuaries where the
various forms of wild life may rest
undisturbed. Other parts will be
open to the public for shooting and
fishing to the full limit possible with

maintaining the purposes of the

refuge.

MIGRATORY-BIRD TREATY AND LACEY
ACTS

The beneficial effect of the migra-
tory-bird treaty act in increasing the
supply of migratory wild fowl con-
tinues to impress observers and to
make friends of the former opponents
of the law. The economic importance
of the migratory birds of the United
States, including a potential food
yalue of many millions of dollars
annually, justifies the widespread in-
terest in their preservation which is
manifest in all parts of the country.
Conservationists and sportsmen are
disturbed, however, over the future of
the birds because of the fact that
drainage operations continue to de-
stroy their breeding, feeding, and rest-
ing places, and because there is an in-
sufficient number of Federal wardens
to enforce the law satisfactorily. The
latter condition has resulted in an
increased number of violations, includ-
ing hunting in close seasons, market
hunting, power-boat shooting, and
wanton destruction of wood ducks,
swans, and other rare and valuable
birds for which the law provides con-
tinuous close seasons.

COOPERATION

In the administration of the Fed-
eral game laws and other related ac-
tivities the Biological Survey has
gained the cooperation of State game
officials, conservation organizations,
and sportsmen in practically all parts
of the country. This continued
friendly assistance is appreciated,
especially since the funds for the en-
forcement of the migratory-bird
treaty act are so limited that the
successful enforcement of the law
rests on such cooperation.

Cooperation in the assembling of
data made possible the prompt publi-
eation of the annual poster on open
seasons for game, the Farmers’ Bulle-
tins on game laws and laws relating
to fur animals, and the annual cir-
cular containing a directory of offi-
cials and organizations concerned with
the protection of birds and game.
Considerable expense in printing the

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

game-law bulletin was saved by issu-
ing as a separate publication and
sending to a more limited number of
persons the text of Federal laws re-

lating to game, which until this year

has formed part of the
letin.

Statistics of hunting licenses and
the revenue derived from them by the
several States were compiled by the
bureau and made one of the tabular
statements in the latest Yearbook of
the department. The figures indicate
that 4,307,066 resident and 32,831 non-
resident hunting licenses were issued
for the season 1922-23, from which
the States received on the average
slightly more than $1 each. The fig-
ures for the season 1923-24, not yet
published in tabular form, show that
4,357,410 resident and 35, 350 nonresi-
dent hunting licenses were issued.

MIGRATORY - BIRD TREATY - ACT
ADVISORY BOARD

game-law bul-

The advisory board under the mi-

gratory-bird treaty act held its annual
meeting in Washington on December
10, 1924, with 14 members present.
Numerous recommendations for
changes in the regulations received
during the year were considered by

the board, the advice and suggestions,

of which were very helpful in reach-
ing decisions as to policies to be
adopted. As the Biological Survey
was engaged at the time of this meet-
ing in collecting information as to
present wild-fowl conditions, a num-
ber of matters were left to be decided
through correspondence when the
facts on which to base a decision were
made available early in 1925.

Among the changes in regulations
submitted to the board the following
were recommended by it to the Secre-
tary: A change in the season for
hunting waterfowl in Texas, Idaho,
and eastern Oregon; a change in the
shorebird season in Idaho and eastern
Oregon; and the establishment of an
earlier season for hunting mourning
doves in South Carolina. These rec-
ommendations were approved by the
Secretary and the necessary amend-
ments to the regulations are now in
effect.

BAG LIMITS

During the year the bureau was
urged by a number of conservationists
to bring about an immediate reduction
of the daily bag limits on wild ducks
and geese, contention being made that
the numbers of wild fowl have been
so greatly reduced by hunting that the
species would be in grave danger of
early extermination if the recom-
mendations were not followed. This

.

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY

proposition was considered at the Na-
tional Conference on Outdoor Recrea-
tion held in Washington in May, 1924,
and the executive committee of the
conference requested the Department
of Agriculture to investigate the pres-
ent status of migratory wild fowl and
to gather data to be used as a basis
for appropriate action should reduc-
tions of bag limits be found neces-
sary.

Acting on. this request the Biologi-
cal Survey, which already had a large
volume of information on the subject,
began a nation-wide investigation, and
by means of a questionnaire which
was sent to State game commission-
ers, sportsmen, conservation societies,
and many of the bureau’s field repre-
sentatives, and others, and which was
also published in many sporting and
outdoor periodicals, obtained much
additional information relative to the
abundance of wild fowl. The data
gathered came from practically every
section of the country and indicated
that wild ducks and geese had shown
a gratifying increase and that there
was no ground for fearing that they
were in danger of extermination.
With few exceptions the heads of
State game departments asserted that
these birds had increased in numbers.

The Biological Survey realizes its
responsibility to safeguard our migra-
tory wild fowl from undue depletion
in numbers and will continue its
vigilance over the wild-fowl condi-
tions, and will promptly recommend a
reduction of bag limits whenever such
action is needed.

PERMITS TO KILL INJURIOUS BIRDS

A small number of complaints are
received each year alleging serious
injuries to crops or other interests
by migratory birds. Pxercising his
authority under regulation 10 of the
migratory-bird treaty-act regulations,
the Secretary issued an-order during
the year permitting growers of small
fruits in Oregon and Washington,
members of their immediate families,
and bona fide employees to kill Lewis
woodpeckers when seriously injurious
to pears, apples, and small fruits, such
permits to be countersigned by the
chief official of the State in charge
of the enforcement of fish and game

laws, or his authorized representa-
tive. The officials in these States use
such authorizations sparingly, and

consequently few permits to kill mi-
gratory birds have been issued.

An order was also issued authoriz-
ing the commissioner of inland fish
and game of the State of Maine and

25

his regular full-salaried employees to
kill merganser ducks and great blue
herons for the purpose of protecting
game fish in the rivers, lakes, and
streams within the State. This order
was based on the results of investiga-
tions conducted by the Biological Sur-
vey, already mentioned, which showed
that these birds were very destructive
to trout and other game fish in some
localities. Such permits ordinarily
have no serious effect on the total
number of these birds, but the action
which can be taken under them un-
questionably saves large numbers of
game fish.

VIOLATIONS OF THE TREATY ACT

There were 489 cases of violation
of the migratory-bird treaty act pend-
ing on July 1, 1924, and during the
fiscal year 570 more cases were trans-
mitted for prosecution. Of the total
of 1,059 cases, 530 were terminated by
convictions, 26 were nolle prossed, 69
were dismissed, in 7 juries returned
verdicts of not guilty, 1 was stricken
from the docket, in 3 prosecution was
abandoned, leave to file information
was denied in 5 cases, in 1 a demurrer
to an information was sustained, and
2 were closed by reason of the death
of the accused.

Fines ranging from $1 to $275 were
imposed and totaled $11,723.68. De-
fendants also were required in many
cases to pay the costs, which some-
times exceeded the amount of the fine.
Highty-five other cases reported by
Federal wardens were not forwarded
for prosecution because of youthful-
ness of the accused, insufficient evi-
dence, adequate fines having been im-
posed in State courts, or other valid
reasons. A large number of cases
were turned over to State authorities
for prosecution where violations of
the State game laws were involved.
The revenue accruing to the several
States as a result of such cooperation
was more than $6,000.

Convictions in Federal courts were
distributed as follows: Alabama, 12;
Alaska, 1; Arkansas, 11; California,
10; Delaware, 2; Florida, 24; Geor-
gia, 381; Illinois, 1033, Indiana, 7;
Iowa, 25; Kansas, 3; Kentucky, 13;
Louisiana, 7; Maine 3; Maryland, 14;
Massachusetts, 1; Michigan, 2; Min-
nesota, 34; Mississippi, 3; Missouri,
68; Nebraska, 5; New Jersey, 13; New
Mexico, 6; New York, 3; North Caro-
lina, 14; North Dakota, 2; Oklahoma,
2; Oregon, 1; Pennsylvania, 2; Rhode
Island, 1; South Carolina, 1; South
Dakota, 23; Tennessee, 5; Texas, 48;
Utah, 2; Virginia, 22; and Washing-
ton, 6.

26

During the year migratory water-
fowl, aigrettes, and specimens of
mounted birds unlawfully killed or
possessed and having a potential mar-
ket value of about $5,000, were seized.
All of the migratory game birds thus
taken and fit for food were given to
public hospitals or to public charitable
institutions.

The ninth conviction in Federal
court for hunting migratory wild
fowl from an airplane was obtained in
the eastern district of Texas on March
2, 1925, and a fine of $10 assessed.
Seven cases involving this illegal
means of hunting still remain undis-
posed of.

Among other cases of interest ter-
minated during the year were one in
Kansas for selling live wild ducks and
geese without a Federal permit, $25;
one in Illinois for possessing ducks
in storage during the close season and
also grebes for the purpose of. sale,
$275 and costs; five in Illinois for
possessing ducks in storage in close
season, $150 each and costs; one in
Illinois for killing a robin, $25; two
in North Dakota for killing ducks in
excess of the daily bag limit, $25
each; two in New Mexico for pos-
sessing swans, $50. each; one in Vir-
ginia for killing curlews, $100; five
in Georgia for killing doves in close
season, $50 each; one in Michigan for
hunting ducks after sunset, $50; and
one each in Texas and Florida for
serving and selling wild ducks in a
restaurant, $100 each. One offender
in the eastern district of Virginia
eharged with trapping two wild ducks
was sentenced to jail for two days.

ASSAULTS ON WARDENS

Assaults on Federal game wardens
by violators of the Federal law con-
tinue to occur. The latest were com-
mitted in Illinois, when Federal War-
dens Kenneth F. Roahen, of Illinois,
and Marquis A. Charlton, of Ohio,
were fired on from ambush by a
gunner who was later joined by others
hunting with him during the close
season. The wardens were so severely
injured that they could not return to
duty for several weeks. Since the
passage of the migratory-bird treaty
act one Federal warden has been
killed and several others
Such assaults emphasize the urgent

need for a Federal statute under
which assailants of Federal officers

engaged in the discharge of their

duties may be adequately punished.
COLLECTING AND OTHER PERMITS
Beginning January 1, 1924, all per-

mits involving the collection and pos-

assaulted. ~

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

session of migratory birds except
those authorizing the taking of water-
fowl for propagation were made valid

until revoked, so that the number is-

sued was considerably less than in
previous years.

Permits to collect migratory birds
and their nests and eggs for scien-
tific purposes numbered 187, and these,
with 1,034 previously issued and valid
until revoked, make a total of 1,221
outstanding at the end of the year.

A total of 240 scientific possession
permits, mainly for taxidermists, were
outstanding at the close of the year,
52 of them issued during the year and
188 previously.

Special permits were issued during
the year to 76 persons authorizing
them to possess and transport, but not
to sell, specimens of migratory birds
found dead or accidentally killed.

Permits to trap birds for banding
purposes numbered 259, which together
with 894 issued in the previous year
brought the total number outstanding
to 1,153.

Ninety permits were issued to 81
persons authorizing the capture of
migratory waterfowl for propagating
purposes, and 1,192 authorizing the
possession, purchase, sale, and trans-
portation of migratory waterfowl and
their eggs for the same purposes.
Of the 90 permits issued, 66 expired
during the year, leaving 24 outstand-
ing. A total of 2,732 permits author-
izing the possession, purchase, sale,
and transportation of migratory
waterfowl and their eggs for propa-
gatng purposes were outstanding,
1,540 of these having been issued dur-
ing the preceding fiscal year.

INTERSTATE COMMERCE IN GAME

One case involving a violation of the
Lacey Act was disposed of in Federal
court during the year and a penalty
of $25 imposed. Although no new
cases were reported for prosecution,
extensive cooperative work with State
authorities in the enforcement of
State laws with reference to fur ani-
mals was conducted and was very
helpful in reducing illegal activities of
poachers. As a result of investiga-
tions by Federal wardens either alone
or in cooperation with State wardens,
evidence involving 1,000 apparent vio-
lations of State laws was referred
for prosecution in State courts. Sery-
ices of particular value were rendered
the game departments of Minnesota
and North Dakota by Federal game
wardens, who, on request, were as-
signed by the bureau to aid special
agents of these States at St. Louis,

BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 27

Chicago, and St. Paul, where about
700 cases of illegal shipments were
uncovered.

The experience of the Federal
wardens in the Lacey Act work and
their intimate knowledge of the ac-
tivities of many fur dealers and of
conditions in the fur trade were of
great assistance in the successful out-
come of the cooperative investigations.
In 64 investigations closed by State
authorities during the year, fines and
costs totaling $2,060.55 were imposed
and, in addition, contraband furs were
seized in some instances. Sixty-five
Federal investigations were pending
at the close of the year.

Considerable sentiment has been en-
countered among fur dealers in favor
of an amendment to the Lacey Act to
authorize Federal wardens to seize
illegally transported skins and furs.
This would facilitate cooperation with
the various State game officials alsoy
and enable the Federal Government to
comply with the many special requests
for the examination of shipments en
route or at destination and seizure of
skins taken or shipped illegally. The
need of suppressing this traffic is
plain, as such illegal shipments are
usually of skins of fur bearers taken
in States where these animals have
become so reduced in numbers by
overtrapping that a close season is de-
elared to permit them to increase.
Poachers take advantage of this and
still further threaten the existence of
the species which it is desired to pro-
tect.

IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN BIRDS AND
MAMMALS laa¢6

ENTRIES UNDER PERMIT

The importation of foreign birds
and mammals continues to show an
increase over previous years. The
number of permits issued during the
year was 981, an increase of 240, and
the numbér of shipments inspected in-
creased from 232 to 239. Seven addi-
tional permits were issued for the
entry of 214 miscellaneous birds at
Honolulu, Hawaii. The total number
of birds imported was 451,908, of
which 34,470 were entered without
permits.

Mammals.—Permits for the importa-
tion of mammals included 8,424 foxes
from Canada, a great increase over
former years, figures for which are
as follows: 4,871 in 1924, 2,753 in
1923, 2,064 in 1922, and 1,574 in 1921.
These importations, practically all for
ranches, indicate the growth of the
fur-farming industry in the United
States. :

Among notable mammals entered
during the year was an echidna, from
Australia.

Birds——As a whole, the year showed
increasing shipments of birds. On the
Pacific coast there has been a marked
increase in the receipts at Seattle and
a slight increase at San Francisco, the
birds entered at both ports being
mainly from the Orient.

Importations of game birds included
39,170 Mexican quail, 3,044 Hungarian
partridges, and 93 bamboo partridges,
but otherwise the number of game
birds brought in was comparatively
unimportant. The shipment of Mexi-
can quail was the largest since im-
portations from Mexico began in 1910.
The demand for Hungarian partridges
was heavy, but after a few shipments
an embargo was placed on the birds
by authorities in Czechoslovakia, the
main source of supply, and almost im-
mediately the entries ceased.

Cage birds, as usual, formed the
principal part of the importations and
consisted chiefly of canaries and par-
rots. The canaries numbered 310,297
and the parrots 53,964.

Through efforts of some of the
larger importers, concessions were ob-
tained from local authorities in Abys-
sinia permitting the capture and ship-
ment of birds, including several species
not hitherto seen alive in the United
States. This remote section of Africa,
which thus far has been practically a
sealed book, has now been opened up
and some of its rarities made available
for zoological gardens in this country.
Among the birds thus imported for
the first time, except a few starlings
in 1924, were Abyssinian starlings
(Spreo superbus), Abyssinian barbets
(Trachyphonus margaritatus), and
parrakeets (Agapornis taranta).
Other interesting birds included 4
Pucheran guinea fowl (Guttera
pucherani) from other parts of
Africa, 3 Bennett cassowaries (Casu-
arius bennetti) from New Britain,
some bleeding-heart doves (Phlegoenas
luzonica) from the Philippines, and 8
sand grouse (Syrrhaptes paradozrus)
from Central Asia.

Preliminary investigations with a
view to preparing regulations govern-
ing the importation of certain cage
birds were made during the year for
the purpose of preventing losses from
overcrowding in shipments. Canaries
and most parrots are imported either
in separate cages or with only a few
birds in a cage, but some of the
smaller weaver birds and finches are
crowded in such numbers into boxes
of various sizes and shapes that losses
are unavoidable. Under such cir-

28

cumstances the weaker or smaller
birds are injured by fighting, inability
to obtain sufficient food and water, or
lack of ventilation. Conditions can
probably be radically improved and
losses avoided without causing any
appreciable hardship on the importers.

Eggs of game birds.—During the year
19 permits were issued for the impor-
tation of 2,695 eggs of game birds
from foreign countries, chiefly eggs of
pheasants from England and from
Ontario and British Columbia, Can-
ada; of ducks and grouse from Al-
berta; and‘*of grouse from Norway.
The largest shipments comprised
1,000 pheasant eggs from England,
which arrived at New York on June
1; 200 pheasant eggs from Hamilton,
Ontario, at Buffalo, N. Y., May 8;
and 100 wild-duck eggs from Leduc,
Alberta, at Portal, N. Dak., May 15.
About half the shipments were English
pheasant eggs from Hurope or Canada,
evidently imported for the purpose of
introducing new blood into local
stock. The grouse eggs from Norway
were consigned to Illinois; the part-
ridge eggs from Alberta to California ;
the pheasant eggs from England to
Ohio; and the duck eggs from Canada
to Wisconsin, Louisiana, New York,
and Rhode Island.

Mexican quail—The entry of quail
from Mexico, as in 1924, was regu-
lated through permits issued by the
Mexican authorities, and instead of
being collected near the border the
birds were obtained from several of
the States in northeastern Mexico.

This year the total number to be ex-,

ported was determined beforehand,
coneessions were granted to a limited
number of shippers, and the destina-
tion of the birds stated in the per-
mits. On request from the Mexican
authorities, the Biological Survey co-
operated in seeing that these condi-
tions were carried out and furnished
a report of the importations at the
close of the season. The total number
of quail brought in was 39,170, the
largest number ever imported in a
single season. Hntries were limited to
the two ports of Brownsville and
Laredo, Tex., and of the total, 36,390
birds were brought in at Brownsville
and 2,780 at Laredo.

The first importation arrived on
February 11, and entries continued
until the close of the season on April
30. The birds were examined by an
inspector of the Bureau of Animal In-
dustry at the port of entry, but no
quail disease was reported during the

ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

season. Weekly reports were made
on the condition of the birds and the
destination of shipments, thus furnish-
ing a more complete check than has
hitherto been available on the desti-
nation of the entries. Most of the
birds were shipped to six States, as
follows: Pennsylvania, 5,848; Ken-
tucky, 3,886; Illinois, 7,408; Okla-
homa, 4,261 ; Mississippi, 1,634; Texas,
14,070; and miscellaneous States, 736.

The total number of quail imported
from Mexico since shipments began
in 1910 is now 229,029. Most of these
birds were bobwhites, but a few were
sealed quail. Inquiries were received
this year regarding the importation
of the Gambel quail from Sonora,
and valley quail from Lower Cali-
fornia, but no importations actually
crossed the border.

PROHIBITED SPECIES

Two cases of entry of prohibited
species occurred during the year. A
newspaper clipping was received from
a western correspondent containing
the illustration of a mongoose said to
be in the possession of a student at
the University of Wisconsin. The
matter was at once taken up with the
Customs Service, and through the col-
lector of customs at Milwaukee an in-
vestigation was made and the animal
located, identified, and promptly killed.
Further investigation disclosed that
this mongoose had been entered on
or about February 11, 1924, under
the name “honey bear,” at Brooklyn,
N. Y., and had subsequently been pre-
sented to the student.

Harly in June, 1925, application
was received for the entry of five
mongooses, all males, which had been
brought from Calcutta by the captain
of a steamer for the owner of a
private game preserve in New. York.
The consignee was advised that the
animals could not be landed, and on
June 138 they were reshipped to India.

These are the first cases of pro-
hibited species reported for 10 years
(not counting a Philippine para-
doxure, which was killed in Cali-
fornia in 1923), the last ones ocecur-
ring in 1914. One was a mongoose dis-
eovered at Philadelphia in November,
and the other one at San Francisco a
few weeks later. The infrequency of
attempts to import the mongoose and
other proscribed species indicates con-
tinued vigilance on the part of officers
of the customs and general knowledge
of the existence of the law prohibit-
ing such entries.

WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ; 1925