BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 361 



Twenty-seven of these reservations have warden service; of the 

 wardens employed 9 are permanent to safeguard the reservations, 11 

 are part-time, and 10 are cooperative. Individual reports on all the 

 bird refuges are not deemed necessary, but notes are given on sev- 

 eral of the more important ones. 



Big Lake^ Ark. — Conditions at this reservation have continued to 

 imjirove during the past year, and violations of the game laws and 

 also of State fishing laws are less frequent. Working in coopera- 

 tion with State officials, it has been very difficult for reservation 

 wardens in the past to identify illegal fishing tackle frequently 

 found. Recent departmental regulations requiring that all set tackle 

 should be tagged have worked out very satisfactorily. As it is now, 

 a man would naturally liesitate to put his identification tag on ?.n 

 illegal net. and untagged nets are subject to confiscation. 



A survey of the boundary line has been made and the line fairly 

 well cut and blazed, and galvanized wire is being run along its entire 

 length. Runways have been cut through the woods, so that the 

 wardens may quickly reach different points on the reservation and 

 also obtain a view of places formerly hidden by brush and limbs. 



During the autumn of 1921 the greatest flight of mallards since 

 before 1918 was reported, and more Canada geese going south over 

 Big Lake than usual, many of them stopping to feed and rest. There 

 was also a larger number of wood ducks in the reservation and vi- 

 cinity than for many j'ears. 



Lake Malheur, Oreg. — In January representatives of the Biologi- 

 cal Survey met the governor, attorney general, State engineer, and 

 other representatives of Oregon in Salem for the purpose of consid- 

 ering a compromise by which the controversy over the status of this 

 reservation might be settled. The conference was very satisfactory, 

 and there is a strong probability that this long-drawn controversy 

 may be amicably concluded to the advantage of all concerned. To 

 secure needed information representatives of the bureau and of the 

 State visited the reservation in June, and a definite plan of action 

 will be proposed in the near future. Because of unprecedented win- 

 ter weather conditions at this reservation, it became necessary for 

 the warden to feed grain to the birds, as thev were threatened with 

 starvation. 



Tortugas Keys, Fla. — Through the courtesy of the Navy Depart- 

 ment the warden's house on this reservation, which was completely 

 underm.ined by the cutting away of the shore and in danger of fall- 

 ing into the sea, has been moved to the opposite or eastern side of the 

 key and substantially set up on new piling. The key is developing 

 considerable vegetation, which is of much importance to certain 

 nesting birds. 



Belle Fourche. S. Dak. — The effect of continuous grazing over the 

 lands immediately adjoining the lake shore has raised the (juestion 

 as to whether the lack of nesting birds is not due to this destruction 

 of growth which might form shelter for them. To settle this ques- 

 tion definitely it has been planned to fence off a portion of the area 

 known as the peninsula, and the fence has been partly constructed. 

 This will be completed as soon as possible, and with the cooperation 

 of the Reclamation Service the live stock eliminated from the area. 



North Platte, Nchr. — The two smaller of the four reservoirs (No. 

 2 and Winter Creek) composing this reservation are very promis- 



