REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 129 



GAME PROTECTION IN ALASKA. 



Under the new Alaska game law 11 wardens have been appointed 

 by the governor and 21 guides have been registered. Several hunting 

 and shipping licenses were issued by the governor, the proceeds of 

 which are paid directly into the United States Treasury. Twenty- 

 four permits were issued by this Department for collection and export 

 of scientific specimens, and 13 specimens and 8 packages of specimens 

 were entered at Seattle, Wash., during the year. 



An application for permission to purchase deerskins for the manu- 

 facture of gloves and novelties for export from the Territory was 

 referred to the Attorne3'-General, who rendered an opinion that this 

 Department has no authority to grant such permission. 



INFORMATION CONCERNING GAME. 



As last year, statistics were gathered of the deer killed east of the 

 Mississippi. The number was found to be 57,500, substantially the 

 same as in 1908-9. Through the cooperation of the Forest Service 

 much information was acquired of the location of deer, antelope, 

 mountain sheep, and other species of big game on National Forests. 

 This work will be continued and the results will be reported at a 

 future date. 



The extent of the destruction of deer by wolves in Michigan, Wis- 

 consin, and ^Minnesota was personally investigated by a member of 

 the Biological Survey, and sufficient evidence was gathered to show 

 that this problem demands serious attention. Its consideration will 

 be continued, and the results will be reported during the coming year. 



The information secured last year on pheasant propagation was 

 published as a Farmers' Bulletin, the demand for which has shown 

 the widespread interest in this subject. Owing to the persistent 

 attempt to acclimatize the Hungarian partridge, which has been 

 imported in very large numbers in the last two or three years, the 

 question of the introduction of this European game bird was made 

 the subject of special investigation, and the results were reported in 

 the form of an article for the Yearbook. 



A preliminary investigation of the growth and character of private 

 game preserves in the United States formed the subject of a circular 

 published during the year. 



COOPERATIVE WORK. 



As heretofore, the Department cooperated freely with various state 

 game officials and organizations. Among the most important fea- 

 tures of this work was the assistance rendered the State of Wiscon- 

 sin in connection with its civil-service examinations for deputy 

 wardenships. 



73477°— AG R inio 9 



