-2- 



And, Taj'' the way, tliat habit of migration in "big herds raakos it com- 

 paxatively easy for the oiologists to keep lab on the number of ellc. 



Chir biologists seem practically to have saved buffalo and elk from 

 extinct^. on. They are now taid.ng steps to dave the mounta-in sheep and ante- 

 lope, r.r. Denraead says that the Biological Survey now has about 100 

 mountain sheep and 50 antelope on the proaerves under its care* 



Of all our big ga'ne at present, Mr. Donmead holds, the antelopo is 

 Tuost likely to become exterminated. Antelope are delicate and hai'd to 

 handle, They get their slender legs broken very easily. As a mea^is of prc- 

 tecibing the mountain sheep and antalope, steps axo now being taken to pro- 

 cure a big preserve where these animals can range under natural conditions. 

 It is planned to set aside such a range for them in southern Idaho, southern 

 Oregon, and northern Nevada, 



Dr. W. £, Eell, in ciiarge of the biological investigations of the 

 Biological Survey, tells that all game studies indicate thpt the more nearly 

 we approach natural conditio.as for the game animals both sumruer and winter, 

 the greater prospect there is of keeping them in healthy, vigorous condition. 



That involves more than you might tliink. With the increase in 

 human population and more intensive use of land, the need for protection of 

 wild life becomes each year of greater importance. That need has led to 

 the establishment of reservations in different parts of the country to 

 provide protection for certain animfils. 



To keep the animals fit on a limited range, that range has to fit 

 the animals. For t'nat reason, the scientists have made a study of the food 

 habioS of the game and ^he quiility of forage furnished by the range. In 

 the case of elk, that has involved a detailed study of the nutritive value 

 of the different plants growj-r^g on the range. It has meant searching out 

 poisonous plants, and smalyzing salt licks to determine what minerals they 

 contain. It has meant an investigation of thb di'seaoes and parasites that 

 attack the elk. One of the most iniportant dise-r.-^-'S of elk was discovered to 

 bo induced by squirrel- tail grass in the hay usea for artificial feeding 

 during the winter period. 



But the work of the Biological Siarvey with big game animals is not 

 confined to preserving the rc.-nants of the once huge herds that roamed our 

 territoyy, Dr, Bell tells me they have undertaken to bring back one big 

 gariO animal in Alaska that was wiped out about seventy-five years ago — the 

 musk-ox. 



The last music oxen in Alaska were killed off about I85O or 136o. 

 There are still some left in northern Canada and eastern Greenland, and on 

 seme of the Arctic islands. 



Not/ it is planned to bring t'.urty musk-ox from Greenland, The pur- 

 pose is to restock certain parts of Alaslza with music-oxen, but not as game 

 animals, T.ie idea is to start herds of musk-oxen as domestic meat cattle 

 able to stand the rigors of winter in some of the cold sections of Alaska, 



iiusk oxen tend to run in close herds. They are expected to be as 

 easy to handle as cattle on the ran^e. They are largely grass eaters, and so 

 use a different type of forage from reindeer, which have proved so successful 



