558 ANNUAL. REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mosquito Inlet Reservation, in Florida, since shooting has been pro- 

 hibited both manatees and porpoises liave been increasing in the 

 Halifax River, and at the Lake Malheur Reservation and on the 

 Klamath Lake Reservation, in Oregon, certain fur-bearing animals, as 

 well as the birds, are i^rotected. Residents have been allowed to trap 

 muskrats and mink on the Oregon reservations under supervision 

 during the Avinter months, when the birds are absent; in this way 

 cooperation in protecting the reservation has been gained. At Kla- 

 math Lake 10 trappers caught 300 mink, 11 otters, 11 raccoons, 9 

 coyotes, and 13 other animals, a total of 344; while at Malheur Lake 

 14 trappers secured 84 mink, 2 coyotes, and 5,419 muskrats, a total of 

 6,505 skins. 



The birds on the reservations along the Louisiana coast and on 

 the Quillayute Needles Reservation, Wash., suffered from unfavor- 

 able weather conditions and from depredations of trespassers in a 

 few instances. A number of eggs of gulls and terns were reported to 

 have been taken from the Breton Reservation in 1909, and to prevent 

 a repetition of the offense the services of a special warden have been 

 obtained this season at Mobile, Ala., where the eggs were reported to 

 have been taken for sale. On June 14, 1910, about 500 eggs of black 

 skimmers were removed from Passage Key, at the mouth of Tampa 

 Bay, Florida. 



Serious depredations by Japanese occurred on Laysan and Lisiansky 

 islands in the Hawaiian Reservation. On receipt of reports that 

 Japanese plume hunters were operating on these islands the coopera- 

 tion of the Revenue-Cutter Service was secured, and through the 

 courtesy of the Secretary of the Treasury the cutter Thetis was dis- 

 patched from Honolulu to the various islands in the reservation on 

 January 11, 1910. On both Laysan and Lisiansky parties were found 

 who had been systematically killing the birds for several months. 

 Twenty-three Japanese poachers were arrested and brought to Hono- 

 lulu, together with about 259,000 pairs of wings and much other 

 plumage. A considerable quantity of plumage in course of prepara- 

 tion was destroyed on the islands, and it was learned that one ship- 

 ment from the two islands had been previously made to Japan. The 

 total number of birds killed, as estimated by the commander of the 

 Thetis^ was about 300,000. In April the Thetis again visited the 

 reservation, but was unable to make a landing on either Laysan or 

 Lisiansky. No signs of poachers were found, however, and the birds 

 were apparently nesting undisturbed. The poachers brought to 

 Honolulu were indicted under the law protecting birds on bird reser- 

 vations, but were given a nominal sentence, in view of the fact that 

 they were evidentl}^ brought in by parties formerly interested in the 

 guano industry on the islands. Action was also taken under the im- 

 migration law against Max Schlemmer on the charge of importing 

 alien laborers under contract, and these cases were still pending at 

 the close of the year. 



NATIONAL BISON RANGE. 



Early in October the National Bison Range at Ravalli, Mont., 

 which had been fenced under the direction of the Forest Service, 

 was turned over to the Biological Survey and a warden was put in 

 charge. On October 17 a nucleus herd of 37 pure-blood buffalo, 



