AMEKK A.N .MAMMAi. I'KoJli.KMS 171 



These have been an important source of food (huing- the early 

 settlement of the country. 



3. Tra[)ping fnr-hearinor mammals — Ix'avcr, ottci-. marten, 

 sable, badger, muskrat, moles, and others. 



5. Efforts to prevent the total extinction of valuable species. 



This last feature of the American problem has been late in 

 developing. 



Our destruction of animal game resources is connnonly 

 spoken of as wanton, and in many instances tliis is undoubtedly 

 true. Still the problems are not so simple as they often appear ; 

 for example, thousands of bison were shot for the mere sport 

 of shooting, and the species is now i)ractically extinct in the 

 wild state. This seems a great waste, but it is impossiljle to 

 use the same range for both bison and domestic cattle, and 

 cattle are mucli more valuable. The bison herds swept the 

 rancre cattle with them in their mio-rations and strewed settlers' 

 fences over the plahis. When full-grown they are not amen- 

 able to ordinarv means of control and pr()bal)lv could ncjt be 

 profitably domesticated. Even tame buck deer and bull elk 

 are dangerous animals. Kearing the bison in specially feuc-ed 

 preserves is quite a different matter, and has proved — at 

 present fancy prices for robes and heads — a profitable indus- 

 try. Both the United States and Canada have undertaken to 

 thus safeguard the species from extinction, and the American 

 Bison Society has been recently organized to make sure that 

 the largest, and in many ways most picturesque, American 

 mannnal shall never entirely disappear from the earth. 



Those in charge of zo(')logi('al parks and private forest 

 preserves, as well as ot" the extensive national forest reserva- 

 tions, are all making preservation of native animals a strong 

 feature of their work. ]\Iany states are also ])eginning to 

 legislate to prevent extermination of valuable animals. Sev- 

 eral states derive considerable revenue from hunting licenses, 

 and, in order to attract sportsmen, nuist maintain the supply 



