BULLETIN NUMBER TWO 55 



investigation made at that time revealed the fact that our 

 California sea lions feed almost exclusively on squid, and 

 for the time being the sea lions were saved. Dr. E. Lester 

 Jones in reporting on the Alaskan salmon industry in 1914, 

 anxious to attribute to any cause except wasteful fishing 

 the disappearance of salmon, could not blame the sea lions 

 after these investigations, but was even more ingenious and 

 explained the decline in the number of salmon by stating 

 that the bears caught them on the riffles, and that eagles 

 pecked out the eyes of the fish as they struggled upstream. 



We sailed down the coast to Victoria, seeing, I think, only 

 one whale and not one seal or sea lion of any description. 



At Victoria we took a motor trip to Campbell River and 

 back, a total distance of upwards of 400 miles through some 

 of the wildest country in North America accessible by auto- 

 mobile. In fact, the roads we traveled were, at the north- 

 ern end of the island, mere wagon trails, and the forest, 

 except where it was burned or was burning, was dense. 



Vancouver Island, as you know, is little more than a sub- 

 merged mountain range about 230 miles long, densely for- 

 ested with giant trees all over the island, except where it 

 has been recently cleared for farms. It was at one time 

 thickly populated with elk and abounded in birds. The 

 route we took, which should have been through one of the 

 most beautiful regions in the world, was depressing, by 

 reason of wanton and deliberate destruction of superb trees 

 by fire, largely on the excuse of clearing the land. 



Of course it is necessary to provide for human habita- 

 tions and farms, but to see these giant trees with millions 

 of dollars worth of lumber, scarred and charred, and in 

 many instances actually burning, was wasteful, and sad 

 beyond words. The destruction of a great many of these 

 trees was absolutely without justification, as they were sit- 

 uated on the side of the road, or at other places where 

 they could not have interfered with farming operations. 

 They had not even been cut down for their lumber, but had 

 been ruthlessly girdled and left, a standing menace to the 

 passerby, until decay should bring about their downfall. 



As we were in an automobile road running through the 

 forests I had every hope of seeing some living thing by the 

 wayside, or as we skirted around the tracks. We did see 

 in the 400 miles, eight or ten individuals or coveys of grouse, 

 and also three or four English pheasants that were turned 

 loose a few years ago and had succeeded in propagating. 



