22 



SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 



been paid on 698,071 ground squirrels, making the total expenditure 

 $34,948.55. During the same period more than $15,000 had been paid 

 for the destruction of prairie dogs, aud the money in the treasury hav- 

 ing been exhausted the law was repealed without having diminished 

 the number of spermophiles or prairie dogs to any perceptible extent. 



Washington. — During the year 1892 the county of Lincoln paid 

 $31,071.06 for the destruction of Townsend's Spermophiles (Spermophihts 

 totcnsendi), according to the report of the auditor dated Octobers, 1892. 

 This bounty was paid from February to June, inclusive, at the rate of 

 5 cents per scalp in February, 4 cents in March, 3 cents in April, 2 cents 

 in May, and 1 cent in June. It is estimated that 1,035,702 scalps were 

 presented. In addition to this a large number of animals undoubtedly 

 escaped only to die in their holes or were killed during the hot weather 

 aud their scalps not presented, so that the figures do not show the total 

 number actually destroyed. 



The total amounts paid by the seven States for the destruction of 

 spermophiles, as shown by the very incomplete returns received, are as 

 follows : 



C 1864-1865 ) 



Iowa < 1878-1882 } $14, 031. 96 



( 1885-1889 S 



Kansas 1890.. 5.000.00 



Minnesota 1887-1889 . . 39, 050. 13 



Montana 1887 . . 34, 948. 55 



North Dakota 1886-1889 . . 37, 248. 16 



South Dakota 1886-1888 . . 2, 173. 23 



Washington 1892.. 31,071.06 



Total 163.523.09 



OBJECTIONS TO THE BOUNTY SYSTEM. 



The experience of nearly all the States which have paid bounties for 

 the destruction of injurious animals has been that the system is not only 

 very expensive, but unsatisfactory. In the case of Montana the money 

 in the treasury was exhausted before the act had been in operation six 

 months, and yet the numbers of ground squirrels were not perceptibly 

 diminished. The experience of Benton County, Iowa, with pocket 

 gophers also shows the disastrous effects of offering high bounties: In 

 1866 a bounty of 10 cents per scalp was paid. The following year the 

 bounty was increased to 20 cents, amounting to $10,000. This caused 

 the county to borrow $3,000, and still left gopher warrants unpaid to 

 the amount of $3,000 additional. The bounty was then reduced to 12 

 cents lor six months, then to 10 cents, and was finally abolished in 

 January 1, 1869, the entire amount paid out in three years being about 

 818,000, but the gopher, although greatly reduced in numbers, was not 

 exterminated. 



The result was hardly more successful in the Dakotas and Minnesota, 

 and in several cases the bounties were withdrawn within a few months 



