FOREST SERVICE. 

 Predatory animals destroyed, fiscal years 1911 and 1912. 



523 



The total number killed was 23.7 per cent less than in 1911. The 

 nuniljer of w^olf pups killed increased 132 per cent, mountain lions 

 32 per cent, and lynxes 18 per cent ; but 16 per cent fewer bears were 

 killed, 26 per cent fewer coyotes. 27 per cent less wild cats, and 25 

 per cent less wolves. This is due not so much to a relaxation of 

 vigilance as to a diminution in the number of animals. The losses 

 of live stock from predatory animals are much smaller than before 

 the service began to rid the forests of noxious animals. 



The work of eradicating prairie dogs and other range-destroying 

 rodents within the national forests was conducted throughout the 

 year by the Biological Survey, except in a few forests where the 

 Forest Service completed work initiated by it in previous years. 

 Extensive poisoning operations were conducted by the Biological 

 Survey on the Coconino, Cochetopa, and Pike National Forests, and 

 by the Forest Service on the Rio Grande, San Isabel, Kansas, Lead- 

 viUe. and Nebraska Forests. There is still an enormous acreage of 

 prairie-dog towns within the forests, and it will be necessary to en- 

 large the work greatly if the ranges are to be rid of these pests. 



PROTECTION AGAINST POISONOUS PLANTS. 



As in previous years, an earnest and successful effort was made to 

 minimize the loss of live stock from poisonous plants. The work of 

 determining poisonous sj)ecics and of locating and marking areas 

 where such plants occur in suflicient abundance to be harmful was 

 extended with highly satisfactory results, and the loss of live stock 

 was low as compared with previous years. Much of the present less 

 is avoidable, being due to carelessness in herding and a disregard of 

 warning notices, or to the grazing of stock which is hungry and 

 especially susceptible to poison upon areas where the poi-sonous char- 

 acter of the vegetation is readily apparent. 



Arrangements have been iiuule with the Bureau of Plant Tndustr}' 

 for a study of plants poisonous to live stock in Montana. The Forest 



