98 



NATURAL HISTORY OF TIUv FARM 



Besides the bison, "noblest of /Yincrican quadrupeds." there 

 were deer and elk and moose, of wide distribution; in the 

 Rockies were mountain sheep and goats; and in their foot- 

 hills, the graceful pronghom. Of these, the red deer remains 

 where given protection ; indeed, though ne\'er domesticated, 

 it seems to thri\'e on the borders of 

 civilization. Recently in New Eng- 

 land, fanners have had to kill ofT wild 

 deer in order to save their crops. 



Of the beasts of prey, all the lar- 

 ger species, bears and j^umas and 

 lynxes and wolves, have been killed 

 or dri\'cn out ; and probably most of 

 us would be well enough satisfied to 

 have all those that remain, confined 

 in zoological i:)arks. Foxes linger in 

 the larger wooded tracts. Skunks 

 are probably more abundant tlian in 

 primeval times ; for there is more food 

 available and they are not hunted 

 very eagerly by most of us. Minks 

 and weasels and raccoons haunt the 

 swamps and marshes, and being both small and alert, main- 

 tain themselves very well. 



The rodents have fared better under agricultiu-al conditions 

 than the two preceding groups. The destruction of the beasts 

 of prey remo\'cd their m(^st dangerous natural enemies, and 

 the gro\\4ng of crops in the fields increased tlicir available 

 food. It is altogether ]:)n)bable, therefore, that where s])ecial 

 measures are not taken by man to destroy them, such rodents 

 as the woodchucks, gophers, meadow mice and rabbits are 

 more abundant now than in primeval times. At any 

 rate, we can, by taking proper measiu-es, find plenty of 

 them. 



Fig. 48. A pronghom buck. 



