BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL, SURVEY. 



451 



The Shoshone and Pathfinder Federal refuges on irrigation proj- 

 ects in Wyoming were abolished during the year, as they had proved 

 to be of too little value to be retained. This leaves a total of 68 

 Federal bird and big-game refuges administered by this bureau. 



BIG-GAME REFUGES. 



During the last part of June the 12-mile big-game fence which 

 had been under construction at the Niobrara Reservation, near Valen- 

 tine, Nebr., for several years was completed. It incloses approxi- 

 mately 4,000 acres of ideal range for big-game animals adjoining the 

 two small areas heretofore available for this purpose. 



The winter of 1922-23 was a comparatively mild one in the West, 

 enabling game in general to come through in satisfactory condition. 

 The increase in game animals on the refuges was satisfactory, the one 

 item of disappointment being the misfortune which overtook the 

 antelope herds on the Bison Range and the Wind Cave Refuge. The 

 difficulty of maintaining and building up herds of antelope is in 

 striking contrast with the ease attending the increase of herds of 

 other game animals. Buffalo, elk, mule deer, and white-tailed deer 

 appear to be as hardy and to breed as freely on game refuges as 

 ordinary domestic stock. They are at the same time surprisingly 

 free from diseases. 



No damage by fire was done to any of the refuges during the year. 



The following table shows the number of big-game animals on the 

 refuges under the jurisdiction of this bui-eau at the close of each 

 calendar year from 1916 to date, the figures for 1923 being as re- 

 ported up to June 30 only: 



o Estimated. 



The distribution of the 1,499 big-game animals shown in the last 

 column above on reservations under the jurisdiction of the Biological 

 Survey was as follows : 



Buffalo . 



Elk.... 



Antelope 



Deer, mule 



Deer, white-tailei. 

 Mountain sheep. . . 



Total. 



Kind of game. 



Bison 

 Range. 



549 

 ■400 



160 

 120 

 1 20 



Wind 

 Cave. 



1,049 



107 



'170 



16 



295 



Niobrara. 



48 

 57 



Sullys 

 Hill. 



107 



13 

 30 



48 



1 Estimated. 



