io8 



The National Geographic Magazine 



foreign game birds diseases have been 

 introduced which threaten the safety of 

 our own native game birds, sportsmen 

 may conclude that by the importation of 

 foreign species they have lost more than 

 they have gained. 



As most birds, including ducks and 

 geese, are migratory and do not breed in 

 the states through which they pass in 

 spring and fall, many now advocate 

 measures placing all migratory birds 

 under federal control. The present di- 

 versity of state laws and the wide differ- 

 ences in the dates of their open and close 

 seasons are the chief arguments for dele- 

 gating'the care of migrants to central au- 

 thority. That the effect of such a meas- 

 ure would be to improve existing condi- 

 tions and extend the lease of life to many 

 species of ducks and shore birds now fast 

 approaching extinction can hardly be 

 doubted. 



BIG-GAME REFUGES 



The use of government reservations for 

 the preservation of wild animals in dan- 

 ger of extinction is a practical form of 

 protection which cannot be too highly 

 commended. The experiment on a large 

 scale was first tried in Yellowstone Park, 

 and the results there have been most 

 encouraging. Despite some poaching, 

 elk, antelope, and mountain sheep have 

 steadily increased in numbers, while buf- 

 falp also have thriven wonderfully. 



The high price paid for elks' teeth is 

 a constant temptation to lawless hunters 

 to kill these superb animals. It is to be 

 hoped that the organization chiefly re- 

 sponsible for this demand will by official 

 action repudiate elks' teeth as a necessary 

 emblem of the order, and thus lend 

 material assistance in the effort to pre- 

 serve, this, the noblest of our game 

 animals. 



It is a pleasure to note that the co- 

 operation of -private parties with the gov- 

 ernment authorities in efforts to per- 

 petuate our game animals are not want- 

 ing. An instance in point is Miller and 

 Lux's generous offer to the government' 

 of their herd of elk on the Button Wil- 



low Ranch, CaHfornia. In 1905, under 

 the direction of the Biological Survey, 

 some 20 of these animals were success- 

 fully transferred to the Sequoia Na- 

 tional Park, in Tulare County, where they 

 promise to form the nucleus of a large 

 herd of this fine species. 



The New York Zoological Society is 

 also actively interested in the preserva- 

 tion of our big game. Through its gen- 

 erous cooperation, the Wichita Game 

 Preserve in Oklahoma has become the 

 permanent home of a herd of buffalo. 

 The animals are confined to a suitable 

 area by means of a strong fence, and, as 

 the preserve is in the midst of their 

 former range, the success of the experi- 

 ment would seem to be assured. Under 

 what appear to be ideal conditions, the 

 herd is likely to increase notably, so that 

 in time it will be possible, if desired, to 

 stock other reserves from the surplus. 



13 BIRD RESERVATIONS 



The theory of the bird reservation is 

 nearly akin to that of the game refuge. 

 Formerly our coast teemed with bird life, 

 which consisted not only of migrants 

 from the far north, but of summer resi- 

 dents, which found the rocky and sandy 

 islets of our shores a very birds' paradise. 

 The rage for hat birds changed all this 

 and converted most of the former bird 

 resorts into solitudes, so far as bird life 

 is concerned. By setting aside here and 

 there an island of no particular use for 

 other purposes, the government has 

 established nurseries and winter resorts 

 where sea birds undisturbed may rear 

 their young and find shelter. The plan 

 has the energetic cooperation of the Na- 

 tional Audubon Society, which has estab- 

 lished island reserves of its own, and 

 whose good work in this and other fields 

 cannot be too highly extolled. The re- 

 sults attained are exceedingly satis- 

 factory, and thousands of gulls, terns, 

 pelicans, and other sea birds are reared 

 each vear in these bird resorts. Pelican 

 Island is likely to become one of the 

 sights of Florida, and already many 

 tourists have sought permission to visit 



