OTHER RESOURCES 57 



escaped from their vaqueros were not thought worth 

 pursuing. Instead of reducing the numbers of large, 

 ferocious beasts, they probably multiplied them by 

 filling the regions outlying the ranches with herds 

 of domestic animals gone wild, which were more 

 easily captured than the really wild grazing animals. 

 The result was that at the time of the American 

 occupation both the mountains and valleys of Cali- 

 fornia were teeming with wild life which was an 

 inspiration to the early naturalists and was full of 

 both sport and sustenance to the mining camps and 

 pioneer farms. 



Of course, as American development of the country 

 proceeded, the aggressive flesh-eaters were either 

 destroyed or driven back to haunts in strictly wild 

 regions where bold hunters have now to seek them 

 although occasionally, even now, they may advance 

 singly far enough into the borders of farming country 

 to stir up the excitement of a neighborhood hunting 

 party. In the counties which include mountain 

 grazing country marauding wild life is still held in 

 check by standing bounties for trophies of the hunt 

 and the rangers in the national forests pursue sys- 

 tematic warfare for the protection of grazing animals. 

 But on the whole, of the undesirable wild beasts of 

 boldness and capacity there is little left but sport. 



Of desirable wild life, mammal, bird and fish, 

 California has been fortunate in conserving most 

 creditable resources. Legislative provision for cus- 

 todianship of local species and for introduction of 

 supplementary species from other parts of the world, 



