210 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



DESCRIPTION OF THE BIRD AND ANIMAL GROUPS 



San Joaquin Valley Elk. This beautiful animal, sometimes 

 known as the Tule Elk or Dwarf Elk, formerly ranged in vast 

 numbers through the San Joaquin-Sacramento Valley. Only 

 a few hundred now remain. That the species is not entirely 

 extinct is due to the foresight and interest of the late Henry 

 Miller, founder of the great cattle company of Miller and Lux. 

 In the early 7CS, when only a few individuals were left, the herd 

 made its last stand on the Kern County ranch of Miller and Lux. 

 Mr. Miller instructed his cattle men not to disturb the elk in any 

 way. His instructions were carried out and now the herd is in 

 a very prosperous condition. 



Northern Black-tail Deer This is the dr;r which is found 

 chiefly in the chaparral or more open forests of the Coast Ranges 

 north of San Francisco. The animals shown in the exhibit were 

 obtained in Mendocino County, California, where the species is 

 still abundant in spite of the ravages made upon it by the moun- 

 tain lion, its worst enemy. The bucks and does are not usually 

 found together in summer, but for exhibition purposes the young 

 and both sexes are shown in the group. 



Farallon Islands Bird Group. The Farallons are a group of 

 small rocky islands lying thirty miles off the Golden Gate. 

 Thousands of sea birds resort to these islands to lay their eggs 

 and rear their young. In the habitat group is shown one of the 

 bird rookeries at the breeding season. 



Desert Bird Group. The desert is by no means devoid of at- 

 tractions. After the winter rains the few shrubs put forth a 

 profusion of beautiful flowers and a multitude of annual plants 

 spring up. Then many species of birds, some of them being 

 among the most brilliantly colored birds in the United States, 

 build their nests in the palo verdes, yuccas, mesquites, cacti, and 

 ocatillas. A number of desert species are shown in the exhibit, 

 the scene representing a bit of the Colorado desert near the 

 Salton Sea. 



San Joaquin Valley Water-fowl Group. About sixty-three 

 species of ducks, geese and swans have been recorded as occur- 

 ring in North America. More than forty of these have been 

 taken in California; several, however, are mere stragglers and 

 are rarely seen. The San Joaquin Valley has long been known 

 as one of the most famous of these winter resorts of water-fowl. 

 Late in August or early in September the flocks begin to arrive. 

 By December most of the species have appeared, some of them in 

 enormous numbers. Among the .most abundant are the Sprig, 

 Shoveller, Green-winged Teal, and the Snow, White-fronted, 

 Hutchins, and Cackling geese. As many as 20,000 of some of 

 these birds may be seen at one time. In the exhibit twenty-five 

 species of ducks, six of geese, one swan, one coot and one 

 crane are represented. The time is in February and the hour 

 just as the sun is setting beyond the Coast Ranges at Pacheco 

 Pass. Various species of water-fowl are shown in the fore- 

 ground under natural surroundings, and a flock of white-fronted 

 geese is just arriving. 



Northwestern Black Bear. Until recently only three or four 

 species of bears were recognized in> America, but now Dr. C. 

 Hart Merriam, the greatest living authority on the subject, has 

 described no fewer than forty-nine new species of grizzly and 

 brown bears; and there are doubtless more to follow. In Cali- 

 fornia, as elsewhere, the black bear may be either black or brown, 

 or even cinnamon. Young of two color may occur in the same 

 litter, and the parents may be both black, both brown, or one 

 black and the other brown. 



California Condor; California Vulture. It is only in the 

 wildest, most inaccessible regions of the rugged coast ranges 

 that Condors may be seen, except occasionally when they descend 

 to the canyons and valley in search of food. A hole or cave in 

 some high cliff is selected for a nest. Only one egg is laid. The 



young does not reach maturity until two or three years old. The 

 California Condor is the largest flying bird in America, if not 

 in the world; it is even larger than the great Condor of the 

 Andes. It may be readily distinguished by its immense size 

 and the large white patch which shows under each wing as the 

 bird soars overhead. It is a scavenger, feeding on dead animals 

 of various kinds such as cattle, horses, hogs and sheep. So use- 

 ful a bird is it that the law imposes a severe penalty upon any- 

 one who kills any Condor or destroys its nest or eggs. 



California Mountain Lion. The mountain lion, panther, 

 "painter," cougar, or puma, as it is variously called in different 

 parts of its habitat, is still quite abundant in the mountainous 

 districts of California, particularly in the Coast Ranges north 

 of San Francisco. It is the largest of the North American cats, 

 and is very destructive to deer, elk, and various domestic ani- 

 mals. It has been estimated that each lion in California destroys 

 annually on an average one deer a week. Assuming that there 

 are 1000 lions in the State, doubtless an under-estimate, this 

 means the destruction of at least 52,000 deer annually. 



Northern Mule Deer. The exhibit shows a group of the mule 

 deer as they appear in winter in the northern coast mountains 

 of California, Where they frequent the spruce forests. The 

 northern mule deer is one of the largest of the family and is, 

 withal, a beautiful animal. The artist, Charles Abel Oorwin, has 

 done remarkably well in blending the background with the real 

 objects in front. Can you find the line of union? 



White Pelican Group. On Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake, 

 Nevada, is a breeding colony of about 10,000 of these interesting 

 birds. This scene represents a small portion of the colony as 

 it appeared in June, 1917. There are similar breeding grounds 

 at Buena Vista Lake in Kern County, at Eagle Lake in Lassen 

 County, and at the Klamath Lakes, California. The White 

 Pelican usually nests on the ground, while the Brown Pelican 

 often nests in bushes or low trees. The number of eggs is 

 usually two or three, sometimes four or five. The eggs hatch 

 in about twenty-nine days. Note how helpless the newly hatched 

 young appear ; also the way the young are fed. Note also the 

 "centerlboard" on the bills of some of the adults; this drops 

 off soon after the breeding season begins. 



Desert Mountain Sheep. In the desert mountains and their in- 

 cluded canyons and small valleys is found in southern California 

 this interesting sheep or big horn. The animals shown in this 

 group came from near San Jacinto Peak in southern California, 

 where the species is still fairly common. In a region where 

 vegetation and water are so scarce, the resident animals have 

 learned to make the most of the situation and feed upon almost 

 any sort of plant they may find. The barrel cactus is, to them, 

 one of the most useful plants, the pulpy interior furnishing them 

 with both food and drink. 



Antelope or Pronghorn. The Pronghorn or Antelope formerly 

 ranged in immense numbers over the plains and valleys of North 

 America west of the Mississippi River from Mexico to Canada. 

 In California great herds ranged throughout the Sacramento 

 and San Joacquin valleys and in other valleys to the north, 

 east and south. As a result of persistent persecution and 

 slaughter for their hides and meat, these animals have, in most 

 parts of their range, been entirely wiped out. In southeastern 

 Oregon and northwestern Nevada they are still fairly common. 

 In California isolated bands, each consisting of a few indivi- 

 duals, are still left. The Pronghorn is the only member of the 

 hollow-horned animals which annually sheds its horns. In the 

 Pronghorn, however, only the outer shell or sheath is shed, and 

 not the entire horn, as the deer and elk. The Pronghorn is alsb 

 unique in not possessing dew claws or accessory hoofs on the 

 backs of the feet, as in deer. 



