16 WILD LIFE PROTECTION FUND 



fine birds, we demanded the enactment at the next legisla- 

 tive session of a 10-year close season law. In some states 

 the sage grouse is certain to be exterminated, at an early 

 date ; for only a very few of the states will accord the long 

 close season in time to save the remnant. The automobiles 

 of the hunters are now a great curse to these birds and 

 to others. 



Three states — Wyoming, Idaho and Washington — still 

 permit mountain sheep hunting. Unless long close seasons 

 are granted at once, the mountain sheep will totally dis- 

 appear from those states, and very quickly. 



In 1914 about 14,000 deer were killed in California, and 

 only a confirmed optimist can believe that that number of 

 fawns were born in that year. From California the deer 

 and quail are rapidly going; and the disgrace and curse 

 of the sale of game is over all the state. 



Throughout my entire journey ings through the great 

 Plains, the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states, 1 did not see 

 more than 2,000 wild birds, all told, and only 35 wild mam- 

 mals. Of the latter 19 were jack rabbits, and the remain- 

 der were small burrowing rodents, mostly ground-squirrels. 

 Although I made a zoological reconnaisance of seven days 

 by automobile through about 300 miles of the Sonoran 

 Desert, in southern Arizona, I saw not one deer, antelope, 

 wolf, coyote or fox. In a ride of 30 miles through the 

 National Forest above Golden, near Denver, I saw only one 

 wild mammal — a chipmunk, and 7 birds. 



Along the railways of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Mon- 

 tana, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and California 

 the absence of wild birds (in August and September) was 

 horrible ! Even the magpie has not escaped. 



At the last moment, I am in receipt of the following con- 

 firmatory letter from Mr. Henry W. Shoemaker, a sub- 

 scriber to this Fund, who has recently completed a long 

 tour through the West : 



"I note what you say regarding the decrease of wild life 

 throughout the West. As collector and compiler of unwrit- 



