FOREST AND STREAM 
67 
February, 1922 
scalps turned in by them show a total of more than 
27,000, of which about 700 were grey wolves, 24,000 
coyotes, 2,600 lynxes and mountain lions, and 38 bears. 
The value of the live stock saved by the killing of these 
animals is estimated to amount to more than $3,000,000. 
The live stock men of the West are enthusiastic in 
their praise of the work done, which covers eighteen 
states, most of them west of the Missouri River. The 
Report declares that in the last six years not less than 
300,000 predatory animals have been destroyed. 
Quite as important as the killing of predatory animals 
is the destruction of the harmful rodents such as prairie 
dogs, ground squirrels, pocket gophers and jack rabbits 
During the past year more than 18,000,000 acres of land 
were given a first poison treatment, and about 4,500,000 
acres of land that had once been gone over was treated 
again. The funds contributed to this work by states, 
counties, and individuals, amounted to $725,000; and the 
estimated saving in crops grown was $11,000,000. 
The investigation of conditions covering the breeding 
of wild fur bearing animals in confinement is still in 
progress. 
In the inquiries about birds, it is shown that the robin 
is increasing enormously, and is destroying a great deal 
of fruit. We know also that it consumes great quan- 
tities of food used by some of our game birds as, for 
example, the ruffed grouse. 
The Bureau last year took over the work of banding- 
birds ; and handled nearly 3000 during the year. Inter- 
esting reports as to these banded birds are being re- 
ceived. The studies made by Mr. Vernon Bailey on 
the life habits of small mammals have been continued 
and promise interesting results. 
In its big game preserves, the Bureau has in all 508 
buffalo, 504 elk, 92 antelope, 37 muledeer, and 4 white- 
tailed deer. The increase of all these species has been 
for the most part gratifying ; but the antelope herds 
increase slowly. The bird reserves are not doing so well. 
The western reserves of Lakes Malheur and Klamath 
have been partially drained and so are threatened with 
ruin for this purpose. 
As many times in past years was predicted in Forest 
AND Stream, the stopping of spring shooting has per- 
mitted many wild fowl to remain and breed in well 
settled regions. Mention is made of four black-ducks’ 
nests with eggs found March 2, 1921, in New Jersey. 
Nearly 500 convictions under the Migratory Bird Treaty 
Law have been had by the Bureau ; and respect for and 
appreciation of the law are constantly growing. 
The work of looking after Alaska fur-bearers goes on. 
Some seizures have been made of contraband furs, and 
general cooperation has been received from the Post 
Office Department in the way of following up ship- 
ments of furs by mail. There is some fur farming in 
Alaska. 
The reindeer industry has grown by leaps and bounds, 
and is now being cared for by the Biological Survey 
which is investigating the caribou of the region, with 
a view to seeing what can be done toward improving 
the blood of the domesticated reindeer through the in- 
fusion of that of the caribou. The grazing resources 
available for reindeer in Alaska are thought to be suf- 
ficient for many — 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 — reindeer ; in 
other words, Alaska may ultimately become a great 
meat-producing country. 
The work done by the Survey, under the able leader- 
ship of Dr. E. W. Nelson, is of high economic impor- 
tance and possesses a peculiar interest for outdoor men 
and conservators at large. Each one of these may 
profitably read the Report of the Chief of the Bureau 
of Biological Survey. 
GAME BIRDS IMMUNE FROM POISONS 
T hat strychnine, morphine, opium, and other poi- 
sons, which are harmful to human beings and 
many of the lower animals, have no effect on game 
birds, was an interesting discovery made recently. The 
discovery was brought to light by Dr. A. K. Fisher of 
the United States Bureau of Biological Survey, at the 
opening of the Eighth National Conference of the Ameri- 
can Game Protective Association in New York City. 
Dr. Fisher declared that newspaper reports of game 
birds being killed by poisoned grain, were erroneous. 
Pheasants, quail, partridges, and other game birds, in 
the course of experiments, were fed strychnined corn, 
ordinarily used to kill field and prairie rodents, and also 
with other grain treated with opium. The birds did not 
show evil effects, although the doses which were admin- 
istered were of sufficient quantity to kill a large animal. 
Further investigation revealed that game birds have 
really been poisoned by eating weed seed mixed with 
grain. The fact was developed that the weed seed is 
a product of diseased grain. It is obvious, then, that 
the deaths which have occured can be attributed to the 
weed seed and not to the poisoned grain itself. From 
this it is also evident that the poisoned grain must be 
screened in order to eliminate the harmful weed seed. 
In one case crows were fed with strychnined corn and 
died almost instantly, while pheasants were given the 
same food and no ill effects were noticed. 
It is surprising to note that game conservationists 
are unable to explain this strange phenomena. At the 
present time they are only capable of quoting facts, 
which are the results of repeated experiments. How- 
ever, a scientific explanation may soon be forthcoming. 
FLORIDA GAME AND MOTOR-TOURISTS 
T he Florida Legislature has scrapped all of the old 
Florida game-laws and passed an entirely new 
Act, now in effect. 
Under the new law the open season for all game 
commences on November 20th and continues to Feb- 
ruary 15th following, affording a hunting period of 
88 days. 
The maximum amount of game allowed per day to 
each gun is one deer, two turkeys, twenty quail, and 
twenty-five birds of all other varieties. No individual 
hunter shall kill during any one season more than two 
deer, five turkeys and five hundred of any and all sorts 
of birds. 
Residents of Florida may procure a hunter’s license, 
good for the county in which they live, for $1.25; the 
fee for each additional county will be $3.50. For non- 
residents of Florida the cost will be $25 for each county 
in which they desire to hunt. 
Game constitutes one of the chief assets of Florida, 
and this asset was being destroyed, mainly by motor 
tourists and auto-campers ; nearly all such parties carry 
some sort of firearm and shoot game as opportunity 
offers without regard to the game-laws of the State or 
district travelled through. 
There is opposition to this law by motor-tourists and 
auto-campers because a dozen or more counties must 
be passed through in order to reach Miami or get to 
the well-known resorts of the West Coast and game 
is more or less plentiful in each of these. 
The members of the Florida Legislature believed that 
there was no other way to preserve the game in Florida 
for the benefit of future generations; but it will be 
necessary to have a game-warden follow every motor- 
camper or auto-tourist while in the State of Florida if 
violations of the game-laws are to be prevented. 
