88 



Popular Science Monthly 



Dipping Elk to Rid Them of Ticks 



WHAT is said to have have been the 

 first time that a herd of wild 

 animals was dipped in an insecticide as 

 a means of ridding them of ticks occurred 

 at Gardiner, Montana, recently, when 



After the bath the elks gave a snort and 

 returned to their haunts, free of ticks 



the Forest Service undertook to ship 

 about sixty head of elk that had been 

 captured in the Yellowstone National 

 Forest to points in the Rocky Mountain 

 and Sopris National Forests. 



The herd was in poor condition as the 

 result of a hard winter and was infested 

 with "moose" ticks. It was feared that 

 a large proportion of the animals would 

 die unless the ticks were eradicated. 

 Cattlemen doubted if tiie elk could be 

 dipix-d, but l''orest Service officials 

 determined to make the experiment. 



The elk were driven through a regular 

 cattle dipping-pen, and each animal was 

 entirely submerged in a strong insecti- 

 cide. Less trouble was experienced than 

 would have been the case with as many 

 head of cattle, all f)f tlu' elk taking the 

 bath without fuss. The ticks were 

 eradicated shoriK- tluTcafler and not a 

 single animal showed anj- ill eltects from 

 the unusual experience. 



Ostrich Squab: A New Delicacy 



WHILK the residents of Paris, not 

 to mention the soldiers in the 

 trenches, are giving thanks for the 

 opportunity to eat hor.se-meat now that 

 beef, mutton and pork are so scarce, 

 a wealthy New Yorker in quest of 

 novelty regaled his guests at dinner 

 recently with an ostrich squab. The 

 diners faced the unusual treat with 

 some reluctance, but a taste proved 

 that broiled ostrich is by no means an 

 unpleasant dish. Its flavor resembled 

 that of Virginia turkey, and the guests, 

 after the first shock of the announcement 

 was over, ate their portion of the bird 

 with relish and approval. The ostrich 

 squab came from California and weighed, 

 when dressed, about ninety pounds. 



The most quizzical factor about the 

 unusual dinner treat concerned the 

 ultimate destination of the ostrich "left- 

 overs," for reports agreed that the bird 

 was not entirely de\"oured. Whether 



Laying bare the "drum-stick" a fuU- 

 sized meal without "fixin's" 



the siu-plus parts broke into jirint by way 

 of the iiott'l mciui under tiieirown or bor- 

 rowed names or whether the\' heljied to 

 make up that great international dish of 

 mystery — hotel hash — is a (| nest ion yet 

 to be decided. At least, the first meal 

 was a success. 



