THE FRONTIER ONCE MORE 201 



killed prairie chickens and grouse unlawfully. 

 Heavy fines, however, and a large number of 

 deputy wardens, paid and unpaid, are resulting 

 in an increase of deer, and let us hope of moun- 

 tain sheep, in the southwestern part of the 

 State. 



The sportsmen of Utah were greatly agitated 

 over an epidemic among ducks and other water 

 fowl on the marshes contiguous to Great Salt 

 Lake. It was estimated that at least a quarter 

 million ducks, as well as innumerable geese, 

 plover, snipe of various species, and even some 

 sea gulls, lay dead on these marshes, and they 

 were still dying by thousands. I visited the 

 lake, and the stench at some points from the 

 putrefying flesh of birds can only be described 

 as awful. The gun clubs were not to open, and 

 no shooting was to be done during the season. 



Some of the dead ducks were sent to the Di- 

 vision of Pathology, of the Bureau of Animal 

 Industry, at Washington, D. C, and Dr. J. R. 

 Mohler, Chief of the Division, reported, after 

 an examination of the specimens, that death was 

 due to intestinal coccidiosis. Dr. Mohler's re- 

 port stated that the ducks were in good flesh 

 and the viscera apparently normal, except the 

 intestines, which presented throughout the en- 

 tire length more or less extensive areas of in- 



