304 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[FEB. 24, 1906. 


is searching everywhere for her companion. Three 
times in the night I have heard her calling piti- 
fully, and nearly every night she haunts the State 
Park, where she can look out on the outer har- 
bor, anxiously hoping for the return of her mate. 
It is so human, so characteristic of Gloucester, 
where many a weary watch has been vainly kept 
for loved ones that never return. 
“The wife looks out on the tempest, 
When the waves are flecked with foam; 
And a prayer sends up for the safety 
Of the husband that never comes home,” 
HERMIT. 

Work of the Biological Survey. 
TuHeE following summary of the work of the 
Biological Survey for the year 1905 is taken from 
the Report of the United States Department of 
Agriculture just issued: 
Importation of Foreign Mammals and Birds. 
During the year 390 permits were issued for 
the importation of 200 mammals, 250,000 canaries, 
and 37,000 miscellaneous birds, and five for the 
entry of 2,270 eggs of pheasants, a considerable 
increase in number as compared with last year. 
Practically all of the cage birds and many of 
the game birds were imported through New York, 
and ninety-five consignments, embracing all but 
a small proportion of the total number, were in- 
spected by the Department inspectors there. Be- 
sides these entries there were imported 300 mam- 
mals, 3,350 canaries, 12,000 miscellaneous birds, 
and 200 reptiles (chiefly turtles and snakes) which 
did not require the issue of permits. 
Most of the birds brought in were cage birds, 
but a large number of game birds were imported 
for aviaries and a few for stocking covers. These 
included 1,000 pheasants, 300 quail, 450 partridges, 
300 ducks and’ 600 miscellaneous game _ birds. 
Twenty thousand pigeons and doves were im- 
ported, chiefiy domesticated species for breeding 
purposes. 
No injurious species have been reported for 
entry, and, so far as is known, no attempt has 
been made to introduce any into the country sur- 
reptitiously. 
CAPERCAILZIE.—The game birds 
clude more than 100 capercailzie destined for 
liberation on Grand Island, Mich. ‘The caper- 
cailzie is found in northern Europe, and is the 
largest member of the grouse family, full-grown 
males weighing ten to twelve pounds. The bird 
is non-migratory, is extremely hardy, and its flesh 
is excellent. The results of its introduction into 
Michigan will be carefully watched. A number 
brought from Sweden and liberated in Algonquin 
Park, Ontario, last year, as mentioned in the re- 
port of the Biological Survey for 1904, have win- 
tered successfully and appear to be thriving. 
PARTRIDGE Eccs.—Investigation of the importa- 
tion of partridge eggs for stocking purposes, 
mentioned in the report for 1904, developed the 
fact that less than fifty per cent. hatched. Fur- 
ther inquiry showed the probable cause of this 
partial failure to be largely injury from the long 
ocean voyage, and partly the inferior quality of 
the eggs imported. The second cause particularly 
attaches to Hungarion partridge eggs, which are 
said to be carelessly collected by peasants and 
subsequently negligently handled by dealers. In 
the present condition of the trade and facilities 
for transportation it is doubtful if this method 
of introducing partridges will justify the expense 
involved. 
imported in- 

Interstate Commerce in Game. 
The number of cases of illegal shipments of 
game from one State to another is considerably 
larger than the previous year. The records of 
1904-5 show twenty-three cases involving the 
shipment of 1,608 birds and fifty-two rabbits, as 
against ten cases involving the shipment of 700 
birds and thirty-six rabbits in 1903-4. Eleven 
convictions and several indictments were secured 
during the year, making a total of fifty-three con- 
victions in cases passing through the Department 
since the passage of the Lacey Act in 1900. Of 
these, five were secured in Federal courts and six 
in State courts. 
Special mention should be made of the co- 
operation in this work of the State authorities of 
Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina, Nebraska and 
Minnesota. As in former years, a number of 
cases in Jowa have been prosecuted in the State 
courts bv the warden, who secured in one instance 
a 0G of $400 on account of the shipment of 248 
1rds, 
Fretp Work.—Examination was continued of 
the extent and character of illegal shipments of 
game and of the methods used by State officials 
to suppress it in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ne- 
braska and Wisconsin. Personal inspection was 
made of the conditions prevailing in these States, 
and North Carolina also was visited with the 
same object. Particular attention was given to 
illegal transportation of game at St. Louis, which, 
from its geographic position, offers special oppor- 
tunities for violations of the non-export laws. 
Examination of the methods of freight traffic led 
to the belief that game was carried by hand or 
by wagon across a certain bridge to East St. 
Louis and there reshipped. A number of deputy 
wardens were detailed by the game commissioner 
of Illinois to watch this bridge, and arrests im- 
mediately followed. Eight cases have thus far 
been presented to the courts, in one of which a 
penalty of $200 and costs was imposed. 
WILDFOowL PRorecTION IN TEXAS.—Wherever 
possible, organizations and individuals have been 
aided in attempts to establish or maintain ade- 
quate protection of game. Mention may be made 
of the results attained in Texas, where a strong 
effort was begun to nullify the law enacted in 
1903, prohibiting export of waterfowl from that 
State. This law was an important step in the 
preservation of wild ducks, and it is gratifying to 
be able to report the success of the effort to main- 
tain and enforce it. 
THANKSGIVING GAME.—As last year, an investi- 
gation was made of the amount of game on the 
market and the prevalent prices therefor imme- 
diately preceding Thanksgiving Day. The de- 
tailed results of the investigations of the two 
years will be published shortly. A growing 
scarcity of game in the markets is indicated, 
mainly due to the increase of restrictive laws and 
more effective enforcement. Venison was en- 
tirely absent from the markets west of the 
Mississippi, and was scarce at several Eastern 
points. Prairie chickens were scarce everywhere, 
especially in 1904. Quail were scarcer in 1904 
than in 1903 in every place except St. Louis, 
where they glutted the market, probably from 
an oversupply to meet the demands caused by the 
Exposition. 
_ With a growing scarcity of native game there 
1s a tendency to supply the market with imported 
game, mainly different species of grouse. Prices 
for these foreign supplies were not noticeably 
high, while from 1903 to 1904 the prices of native 
game showed a tendency to rise. 
Reservations. 
PELIcAN IsLtAND RESERVATION.—As a result of 
protection afforded the birds on Pelican Island, 
in Indian River, Florida, the colony is thriving. 
On Novy. 23, 1904, pelicans were reported by the 
warden to be more numerous than ever before at 
that date. The nesting season extended from the 
middle of November, 1904, to May 1, 1905. The 
birds returned this season to the main island, ar- 
tiving in numbers about Nov. 1 and beginning to 
lay on Noy. 18. Young birds made their appear- 
ance a month later, and by Jan. 3 were numerous. 
Breton IsLANnD RESERVATION.—Three islands, 
known as Breton, Old Harbor and Freemason 
islands, lying off the coast of Louisiana just 
north of the Delta of the Mississippi River, for 
years have been frequented by thousands of 
ducks, gulls, terns, pelicans, man-o’-war birds, 
and shore birds, the ducks wintering, the others 
breeding. Owing to plans for the practical ex- 
termination of the ducks by market hunters dur- 
ing the winter, an Executive order was issued by 
the President on Oct. 4, 1904, making the group 
of islands a bird reservation, to be known as the 
“Breton Island Reservation,’ and placing them 
under the supervision of the Department of Agri- 
culture. A warden was appointed, to be main- 
tained, like the warden of the Pelican Island 
Reservation, by the co-operation of the Depart- 
ment and the National Association of Audubon 
Societies, and trespass warnings were posted on 
the islands. The ducks, which have wintered in 
their usual immense numbers, have not been 
molested, so far as is known, ‘The warden re- 
ports that mallards, baldpates, pintails and red- 
heads begin to leave the reservation Feb. 1 and all 
are gone by Feb. 20, while with black ducks the 
period of departure is April 10 to 20. 
Stump LAKE RESERVATION.—A third reserva- 
tion, the Stump Lake Reservation, was created 
by the President on March 9, 1905. Thousands 
of ducks and other waterfowl breed on four small 
islands in Stump Lake, near the center of North 
Dakota, the total area of which is 27.39 acres. In 
order to afford adequate protection to the birds 
during the nesting season an Executive order was 
issued placing the islands on the same footing as 
the Pelican Island and Breton Island reservations. 
Wicuita GAME REFUGE.—On Jan. 24, 1905, Con- 
gress passed an act authorizing the President “to 
designate such areas in the Wichita Forest Re- 
serve as should, in his opinion, be set aside for 
the protection of game animals and birds and be 
recognized as a breeding place therefor,” and pro- 
hibiting hunting, trapping, killing or capturing all 
game animals and birds within such areas, except 
under such regulations as the Secretary of Agri- 
culture should prescribe. Pursuant to the author- 
ity conferred by this act, the President on June 
2, 1905, issued a proclamation announcing the 
establishment of this National game refuge. 
Upon this tract, which is in the Wichita Moun- 
tains, Oklahoma, quail are especially abundant, 
and the principal value of the measure will prob- 
ably consist in affording a breeding ground for 
these birds. 
Protection of Game in Alaska. 
The most important feature of the protection 
of Alaska game—the regulation of export—has 
been fully maintained throughout the year, and 
there appears to have been no resumption of the 
trade in skins and trophies. The bill introduced 
into the last Congress, in which radical modifica- 
tions in the present system were made, failed to 
become a law. While it was pending, the issue of 
permits for shipment of trophies was suspended. 
Hence the number of such permits granted dur- 
ing the year is comparatively small. New regu- 
lations were issued in June limiting shipment of 
trophies to (1) residents of Alaska and (2) per- 
sons desiring to export trophies secured prior to 
1905. The total number of export permits issued 
during the year was ten for specimens and twelve 
for trophies. Six shipments reached Seattle 
without permit. One, consisting of a deer head 
which arrived in bad condition, was destroyed by 
direction of the customs officials at Seattle; and 
two—two caribou heads from Nome and 400 
pounds of ivory—owing to special circumstances, 
were released. 
Transfer of Elk. 
As stated in the annual report of last year, the 
preparations for transporting the elk, offered to 
the Department by Miller & Lux, from Kern 
county, Cal., to Kaweah Park were completed. 
Owing to unforeseen difficulties and delays, the 
ttempt to corral the animals was not made till 
Nov. 12. The animals, however, proved to be so 
intractable that the effort to drive them into a 
corral had to be abandoned and several were 
roped. As a result of their excessive exertion 
and the rough usage to which they were neces- 
sarily subjected only two reached Kaweah Park 
alive. Owing to this exnerience another method 
has been devised, and Miller & Lux have prom- 
ised to secure a sufficient number. of young and 
yearlings to insure the success of the experiment. 

Home-Made Hunting Suit. 
A suit of the proper color (for ducks) can be 
made of cheap material from coffee sacks, which 
are just the right color. I think the poor suc- 
cess of some duck hunters is undue movement on 
the approach of a flock, and too small time allow- 
ance ahead, for cross shots and over, for ducks 
rising from the water. Hakwia 
