CALIFORNIA PLSH AND GAME. 



93 



f-xtermiiiated is due, without doubt, to the intelligent interest taken in 

 its preservation by Mr. Henry Miller. It must be admitted, however, 

 that Messrs. Miller and Lux are willing, in view of the very considerable 

 loss the elk are causing them each year, to have the herd reduced some- 

 what by moving some of the animals to suitable reservations in other 

 parts of the state. 



With this object in view, on the sixth of last April, Mr. LeRoy 

 Nichel, on behalf of Miller & Lux, offered to turn over to the Cali- 

 fornia Academy of Sciences all or such portion of the herd of California 

 elk now roaming over their Kern County ranch as they might be able 

 to catch, provided the Academy would undertake to distribute them to 

 various federal, state, and private re ervations in the State of California. 



Fig. 25. — At Monterey the elk were transferred from the car to large crates, in 

 which they were hauled to the Del Monte Park, where they were liberated October 30. 

 Photo by F. C. Swain. 



In 1905 a few elk were taken from this herd and placed in the 

 Sequoia National Park, where they have done fairly well. These and 

 the original Kern County herd are the only elk of this species in 

 existence. 



The development of the oil fields and the expansion of agricultural 

 operations in the Kern County region have brought many dangers to 

 the elk herd in that locality. To aid in saving the species from possible 

 extermination it was proposed to place a few elk in each of the various 

 reservations and parks in the state in the hope that they might thrive 

 there and become the nuclei of new herds. 



This was the hope of Messrs. Miller and Lux. One of the conditions 

 of their offer was that the animals should be pitt onl.y in places affording 

 a favorable environment and where they would probably breed. 

 2— i.-ii;so 



