America and laid bare a stretch of practically 
worthless alkaline land. Klamath Lake Bird Re- 
servation was originally set aside by President 
Roosevelt, by Executive order of August 8, 1908, 
as a refuge for the birds using the extensive marsh 
areas then existing there as breeding grounds. 
These included large numbers of Canada geese, to- 
gether with important colonies of gulls, Caspian 
terns, grebes, and white pelicans. These birds en- 
joyed the sanctuary thus afforded up to the time 
the area was drained in 1917. 
Commenting on the prospective restoration of 
this bird refuge, Doctor Nelson said that cutting 
off the supply of water from Lower Klamath Lake 
has been a striking example of the folly of unwise 
drainage whereby water areas useful for the sup- 
port of vast numbers of wild fowl are destroyed 
for the purpose of developing agricultural lands 
without first determining that the lands beneath 
the waters are of any real value, especially as com- 
pared with the public asset represented by the wild 
life which these areas in their original condition 
so bountifully support. He said that it is hoped 
the rainfall wil! be sufficient during the coming 
winter to supply the necessary surplus water and 
that the wild fowl may again concentrate here as 
formerly, and added that conservationists and 
lovers of wild life throughout the country will re- 
joice over the information given out by Professor 
Mead, and owe him a debt of gratitude for his 
broad-minded appreciation of the situation and his 
willingness to take the necessary and long-desired 
action. 
“PORKY” IS A FAST WORKER IN BARK- 
EATING CONTEST 
T Flagstaff, Arizona, young ‘“porkies”’ are 
being fenced in on forest areas with nothing 
in the world to do but gnaw bark from suc- 
culent western yellow pine seedlings and saplings. 
From the porcupine’s standpoint this is much the 
same as if a small boy were to be compelled to enter 
a pie-eating contest at the Sunday-school picnic. 
The porky’s picnic is, however, of considerable 
scientific interest to Dr. Taylor and the members 
of the Southwestern Forest Experiment Station. 
The fact that he will in six days eat something 
over twice his own superficial area in tree bark 
goes far toward determining who’s to blame for 
tree girdling in Arizona, where many young trees 
are killed every year in this manner. 
In one series of experiments a single small porcu- 
pine weighing 8 pounds gnawed off 34 square 
inches of bark in a single night. Another of 
13% pounds weight, disposed of 196 square inches 
in six days in a forest area about 90 feet square, 
choosing two large trees and 17 small ones. A 
third, a 12-pounder, took 300 square inches of bark 
in six days, girdling and killing 39 seedlings, and 
enawing 32 others, as well as five large young pine 
trees. With 50 square inches of bark a day to his 
discredit, this porky is winner thus far. Whether 
or not “porky” should be given unlimited protec- 
tion in important forest areas remains to be seen. 
Page 729 
FEDERAL GAME LAWS APPLY ON ALL 
NAVIGABLE WATERS 
N connection with the enforcement of the mi- 
| gratory bird treaty act the question is some- 
times raised as to whether hunting on navi- 
gable waters or streams is controlled by Federal 
law. Such hunting, according to the Biological 
Survey of the United States Department of Agri- 
culture, which is charged with the administration 
of the act, is governed by the laws of the States 
within the boundaries of which the stream or other 
waters may be located. The Federal regulations 
on the hunting of migratory game birds apply 
equally within the territorial limits of the various 
States, and have neither more nor less application 
to navigable waters than elsewhere within the lim- 
its of the particular State in question. 
The center thread of the current usually consti- 
tutes the boundary line between States bordering 
on a stream. In some instances, however, one 
State may have jurisdiction to low-water mark on 
the opposite shore. In the case of the Potomac 
River, Maryland has jurisdiction to low-water 
mark on the Virginia side. A similar condition 
exists on the Ohio River, due to the fact that in the 
cession of the Northwest Territory to the Union, 
Virginia ceded only that portion north and west of 
the Ohio River. The States of West Virginia and 
Kentucky thus have jurisdiction over the river to 
low-water mark on the Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois 
side. The Federal regulations under the migra- 
tory bird treaty act prescribe seasons and other 
restrictions on the hunting of migratory game 
birds, but these apply equally within the territorial 
limits of the various States, and have neither more 
nor less application to navigable waters than else- 
where within the limits of the particular State in 
question. 
WILD LIFE CONSERVATION IN 
NATIONAL PARKS 
HE protective measures adopted by the Gov- 
ernment in the national parks for the pro- 
tection of wild life are proving very effec- 
tive, it was recently stated at the Department of 
the Interior. 
After a count of the deer last month in Yosemite 
Valley in Yosemite National Park, California, it 
was conservatively said that there were 400 of 
these animals in the valley, which covers an area 
of about 8 square miles. Many of these deer are 
so tame that they can be fed from the hand. 
As late as 1916 it was quite an event for even 
the local people to get a glimpse of a deer. Re- 
cently, however, in a ten-minute walk from the 
park office to the residence of the superintendent 
47 deer were counted, of which 26 were on the su- 
perintendent’s lawn. From 15 to 20 deer are 
around the house every evening at this time of the 
year. Although most of the deer leave the valley 
in the summer to go into the higher mountains, 
about a hundred of them remain there all the year 
round, and are a great attraction to visitors. 
One of the factors that has contributed largely 
to the welfare of the deer is the prohibition of dogs 
in the park. 
