IN THE ALASKA-YUKON GAMELANDS 



safely across we settled back into single file up 

 the Skolai again and were happy. A red fox 

 streaked across our forward trail and took shelter 

 in the canon below, while our timberline eleva- 

 tion brought us in close proximity to several 

 eagles, whose buoyant circles and raucous calls 

 were taken as signals that we were welcome to 

 their domain. If these birds should be satisfied 

 with rodents, offal, etc., for their menu, I would 

 feel inclined to like them; but considering the 

 great menace they are to young game, especially 

 lambs and kids, I am heartily in sympathy with 

 the Alaskan view that they should be killed 

 whenever possible. The present 5<D-cent bounty 

 is totally inadequate to keep their numbers 

 down below the point of danger to sheep and 

 other game. When a lamb is born nearly every 

 eagle, it seems, within 50 miles of the scene, knows 

 it, and by striking it with their wings, by at- 

 tacking it with their beaks and claws, and other- 

 wise harrassing it, they soon topple it over a cliff, 

 where it furnishes a rich morsel for their ghoulish 

 appetites. 



Skolai Basin (also called Skolai Lake and 

 Skolai Pass altho it is not the summit of the 

 pass) was reached at 5 p. m. in a rain storm. 

 They say that if there is any rain or snow in the 

 country it will fall here a sort of magnet, it 

 seems, for all trading winds, and blizzards. 

 Being above timberline (elevation 4,300 ft.) no 

 timber shelter was available and consequently 



