104: The Wilson Bulletin— No. 113 



however, still a paradise practically untouched by the zo- 

 ologist, and it is liigh time that some definite records be 

 filed concerning the species found, and their abundance. 

 With the constantly changing conditions which are met 

 with in this area — fires, road construction, and the general 

 advance of civilization — there must of necessity follow a 

 constantly changing condition among the wild life of the 

 region, to conform with tlie physiographic and topogra|)liic 

 changes of the country. There will be some few neAV ad- 

 ditions to the fauna as a result of these changes, but far 

 outnumbering these will be the disap])earance of species 

 which are unable or unfitted to compete or associate with 

 man. These changes are^ already going on. In the county 

 visited the elk and caribou are gone ; the moose is fast go- 

 ing; the beaver is nearly gone, as are the raccoon, the 

 badger and the fox ; the bear is very scarce. And this is 

 just a beginning; these animals must go, and others must 

 inevitably follow them closely. Among the birds the pile- 

 ated woodpecker and the pin-taled and spruce grouse will 

 not long endure. It will not take many years to alter 

 greatly the lists of birds and hiainmals of Itasca county. 



During the summer of 1919, the writer had the oppor- 

 tunity of spending nearly five weeks in Itasca country, in 

 nortliern INIinnesota. This county lies in what may be 

 termed the second tier of nortliern counties in that state, 

 and includes within its boundaries 2,814 square miles, or 

 1,858,281 acres of territory, of which 128,7(18 acres are 

 water. Few counties can offer such diversified surround- 

 ings. Towns, cities, great mining interests, lumbering, 

 miles of wilderness, numberless lakes, extensive swamps, 

 great rivers, mammals land birds in abundance, Itasca 

 county stands unique in the writer's experience. Lake 

 after lake, each set in its frame of wilderness without sign 

 of human habitation; rolling hills from the summit of 

 which one scans a panorama of great beauty encompassing 

 pine-wood slopes, curling rivers and turquoise lakes; cold 

 nights with the multitude of mysterious night sounds, and 



