146 The Nature-Study Idea 



gress: ^'Certain of the forest reserves should 

 also be made preserves for the wild forest crea- 

 tures. All of the reserves should be better pro- 

 tected from fires. Many of them need special 

 protection because of the great injury done by 

 live stock, above all by sheep. The Increase 

 In deer, elk and other animals In the Yellow- 

 stone Park shows what may be expected when 

 other mountain forests are properly protected 

 by law and properly guarded. Some of those 

 areas have been so denuded of surface vegeta- 

 tion by overgrazing that the ground-breeding 

 birds. Including grouse and quail, and many 

 mammals, Including deer, have been extermi- 

 nated or driven away .... In cases where 

 natural conditions have been restored for a few 

 years, vegetation has again carpeted the ground, 

 birds and deer are coming back, and hundreds 

 of persons, especially from the Immediate neigh- 

 borhood, come each summer to enjoy the 

 privilege of camping. Some at least of the 

 forest reserves should afford perpetual protec- 

 tion to the native fauna and flora, safe havens 

 of refuge to our rapidly diminishing wild ani- 



