August, 1922 
351 
! a dog which somewhat resembled In appearance the dingo, 
t This had been domesticated by the natives and has since 
I been exterminated. It is recorded that more than forty 
i other mammals have since been introduced by the agency 
of man, and a number of these have established themselves 
as wild animals — in some cases occupying only limited 
areas and, in others, widely distributed. Some of these 
are marsupials, brought in from Australia ; but besides 
these, there are the pig, the horse, several species of deer 
■ — from the old world and from the new — cattle, sheep, 
goats, chamois, the rabbit, and some small weasel-like 
animals. 
Red deer, fallow deer, American elk, white-tailed deer 
and moose, and the chamois, have all maintained themselves 
in a wild state, done well, and increased. From eight 
chamois, presented by the Emperor of Austria in 1907, 
there are now reported to be several herds of from thirty 
to seventy, found near Mt. Cook. There is a wildcat — not 
a true wildcat, but a domestic cat run wild — which, with 
the ferret and other weasels, was brought in to reduce the 
rabbit plague. In this they have been failures, and in other 
respects have caused great damage. 
Here in the United States we may congratulate our- 
selves that the number of noxious old-world species of 
birds and mammals that we have imported and which have 
successfully established themselves, is small. It is true 
that the land is cursed with English sparrows which are 
everywhere, and there are one or two other species that 
we wish were not here ; but on the whole we have suffered 
little. The case is different as to imported insects and 
blights, and we have long been paying heavy fines for the 
carelessness of people who have permitted the entry into 
the country of various lower forms of life which now 
endanger our forests and our crops. 
The Biological Survey, with the assistance of the Trea- 
sury Department, now watches closely the importation of 
foreign species, and no doubt will continue to strive to 
protect us. 
For those of our readers who would like to follow this 
subject further we recommend their reading a recent book 
brought out by the Cambridge University Press, entitled 
“The Naturalization of Animals and Plants in New Zea- 
land,” by the Hon. Geo. M. Thomson. 
NATURE GUIDES IN NATIONAL PARKS 
F rom the Swiss Alps and the fjords of Norway has 
come the germ of the nature guide movement 
which is proving such an attractive feature to the 
hundreds of thousands of visitors to the national parks. 
The first experiments in nature guide work in this coun- 
try were conducted by the California Fish and Game 
Commission in Lake Tahoe resorts, California. In 1920 
the nature guide service was commenced in Yosemite 
National Park in cooperation with the National Park 
Service and proved tremendously popular with visitors. 
Over 27,000 visitors made use of the service which is 
given without charge of any kind. In 1921 the Yose- 
mite Nature Service served over 50,000 visitors and 
somewhat similar service was furnished visitors in Yel- 
lowstone Park. 
This year the free nature guide service will again be 
available in Yosemite and Yellowstone Parks and will 
be installed for the first time in Glacier National Park. 
The nature guides give lectures and camp-fire talks and 
conduct visitors on nature study field excursions. Any- 
one puzzled regarding birds, animals, insects, wild flow- 
ers, trees, or natural curiosities or features of the parks 
may obtain information about these without charge by 
applying to the park nature guides. 
REFORESTATION AND SMALL GAME 
S HOULD it come to pass that the Government and 
States rehabilitate the hillsides and river banks 
with nut-bearing trees and berry bushes, would the 
small wild game of this country increase? Would it be 
advisable and advantageous to have a return of small 
game in large numbers? 
There is no doubt of the outstanding value of re- 
forestation. And there is no doubt that it is a serious 
mistake that reforestation is not in progress in every 
State of the Union, especially in those States having 
navigable rivers or tributaries to navigable rivers. 
Practically each year sees immense losses in property 
and even some lives due to floods. The destructive 
power of floods would undoubtedly be lessened by re- 
forestation ; that is, the trees with the resultant leaves 
would retard surface drainage — a factor during the 
heavy rains of the spring months each year. During the 
heavy rains of April just past, the ground was so 
saturated in parts of West Virginia that the water 
flowed down the barren hillsides in small torrents, cut- 
ting out the earth as it went. There was nothing to 
interfere with its progress and it did incalculable dam- 
age. No doubt the same condition prevailed in other 
States, especially in Illinois where fifty lives were re- 
ported as lost and $20,000,000 of damage done. 
Reforestation will reduce soil wash to a minimum. 
By lessening soil wash, deposit will be reduced in our 
navigable streams. It will provide timber for future 
generations. Nuts and berries being valuable articles 
of food, it will assist in increasing our food supply. 
As wild game multiplies where it finds food and shelter 
and as nuts and berries are food and trees and bushes 
protection for rabbits, squirrels, coons, opossums, 
ground hogs, quail, pheasants, and the like, and as 
such game is enjoyed by many, there is another valid 
reason for reforestation. 
In some sections of the United States, small game 
is only a memory. To many the taste of squirrel, quail, 
or pheasant meat is unknown. A great and inexpensive 
sport is vanishing. Many a man in moderate circum- 
stances, in the past, found enjoyment and health in 
tramping through the woods for game, and he generally 
brought home food enough to offset the money paid 
for ammunition. To-day, he could walk for miles in 
some localities and it is doubtful if he would bag a 
rabbit. 
For years the Inhabitants have extravagantly enjoyed 
the natural resources of this country without provid- 
ing for furture generations. They have simply stripped 
the land of its trees and bushes until the country is 
subjected annually to severe floods and heavy losses. 
We are debarred from the great sport of small game 
hunting, enjoyed by our forefathers, because we are 
without forests. Had the past generations been more 
thoughtful, they would have “planted as they cut.” 
Such action would have given us timber to-day and 
would have undoubtedly provided a greater quantity 
of small game. But are we doing any better than did 
those of past generations? Not one whit. The fact 
is, we are draining our natural resources to the very 
dregs. 
While no doubt small game has done considerable 
damage for farmers in some sections, still with forests 
of nut-bearing trees, it is very doubtful if such game 
would forage. A return of small game would un- 
doubtedly be welcomed by farmers as well as by the 
huntsmen from the cities. 
