182 
ing a period of nine months, while a 
hornless buck may be found any month 
or again bearing antlers in various stages 
of growth. 
And it is an interesting and undeter- 
mined question whether the prolonged 
breeding season does not result in many 
bucks carrying their horns much beyond 
the normal period in the North. Tf, as 
the writer believes, the horn growth of 
the male is purely a sexual manifestation, 
and incidentally providing a means to bat- 
tle with the numerous rivals, and are shed 
in the North long before they can be of 
use against wolves and other predatory 
animals, then, with the Panama deer mat- 
ing throughout most of the year, it may 
result in the carrying of the fully devel- 
oped horns much longer than usual. With 
the tapir and te “other large animals 
the prolonged breeding season was no- 
ecules but toa lesser « extent among the 
birds. 
UNITED STATES OWNERSHIP OF LAKE SITE 
NECESSARY 
Conceding that Gatun Lake is the 
most essential factor in the canal system, 
it is evident that the entire basin and the 
surrounding shores should be under the 
exclusive sovereignty of the United 
States, while the main watersheds should 
also be under some form of supervision. 
A canal zone to miles wide may have 
seemed in the beginning a sufficiently 
large tract to be taken out of so small a 
republic as that of Panama, just as the 
constitutional restrictions on the size of 
the District of Columbia seemed reason- 
able at the time. 
When it is finally appreciated that 
more than one-third of the superficial 
area of Gatun Lake and practically all 
the watersheds upon which the mainte- 
nance and the purity of the lake depend 
are within the sovereignty of another na- 
tion, seriously interfering with our con- 
trol from a commercial, engineering, 
sanitary, and military standpoint, the 
present limitations appear unfortunate. 
While the consideration of this feature 
of Isthmian geography may not be ger- 
mane to the original purposes of our ex- 
ploration, yet no one can spend weeks 
rene the proportionately large 
THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 
sheets of water lying beyond the zone 
without being impressed with the lack of 
governmental control. 
Any enlargement of our territory 
under the existing treaty with Panama, 
which, fortunately, covers future read- 
justment of our holdings, should be un- 
dertaken at the earliest possible time, for 
with the springing up of many native 
villages about or near the shores of the 
lake, the costly preparation of land for 
agricultural purposes, the use of the 
waters as a convenient medium for 
travel and shipments, any interference 
therewith a few years from now will be 
at the expense of vested rights, making 
the condemnation more costly and, what 
is more to be feared, causing endless 
friction with the Panamanians, who will 
resent their dispossession after enjoying 
the many benefits of the inland water- 
ways, regardless of how such occupation 
may interfere with the purposes for 
which the lake was created. 
SETTLEMENT ENCOURAGED 
Already both whites and natives are 
buying up or taking possession of large 
tracts of riparian lands just outside the 
boundary and along the now navigable 
valleys, in easy communication with all 
parts of the zone by boat or rail. Colo- 
nization schemes are in the bud and re- 
garded with a somewhat favorable eye 
by our government, for we are told in 
official communications, in lectures, and 
by illustrated articles the wonderful fu- 
ture of the zone and adjacent lands for 
the enterprising agriculturists from the 
States. 
On the Pacific slope, where there is no 
connection with or drainage into Gatun 
Lake, and again in the great forested 
tracts along the Atlantic coast, there are 
doubtless many opportunities for fruit- 
growers, stock-raisers, or lumbermen ; 
but on all lands bordering or draining into 
the lake every effort should be made to 
prevent or restrict permanent settlements 
or any other occupation materially inter- 
fering with the control and protection of 
the lake waters 
Engineering “Reasons.—The duty of 
watching and measuring the precipita- 
tion during periods of excessive rainfall 
