66 REPORT OF THE FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 
surely demonstrates the efficacy of the sanctuary method of conserving 
wild life. Deer appear to be greatly increased and the systematic 
destruction of predatory animals carried on by the Forest Service 
should still further improve conditions. As evidence of the increase — 
of deer it might be stated that thirteen deer were seen to go to a deer 
lick within two hours. 
The loafing grounds for ducks and geese situated just west of the 
Marysville Buttes were visited on February 2, 1918. Although the 
season had closed but two days before, thousands and thousands of mal- 
lards were seen. In fact, no estimate of the numbers could be made, 
but the water was black with ducks as far as the eye could see. 
Because of the weather conditions geese were not very numerous. 
Work on the food of ducks in California has been continued. Over 
_ two hundred ducks’ stomachs have been examined and the results com: 
piled. <A full report on the investigation will be published soon. A 
careful study of the food habits of the horned lark, based on the exam- 
ination of over two hundred stomachs, has been carried on under the 
supervision of this bureau. This bird has been accused of destroying 
alfalfa, grain and beans. Definite information as to the food of these 
birds will help solve the question whether they are a benefit or a detri- 
ment. Many examinations of birds’ stomachs including those of hawks 
and owls have been made and reports published. 
This bureau has continued to compile data on the number of deer - 
killed during each open season. The kill during 1916 as reported was 
8,117. As only a part of the deer killed can be reported by deputies 
and forest officers, we are justified in estimating the kill in the open 
season as over twelve thousand. A compilation of the hunting acci- 
- dents has also been made and published. The reports from the chief 
forest deputies of each national forest have been reviewed and the more 
valuable material extracted and filed according to species. Every 
definite note on the life history and habits of any species of game bird 
or mammal which we have secured has been added to our files. 
Definite information as to the status of the prong-horned antelope has 
been secured, including a census of the actual number of animals in the 
few herds left in this state (see Fig 10). 
The director of this bureau is joint author with Joseph Grinnell and 
Traey I. Storer of a book on ‘‘The Game Birds of California,’’? which 
1s ~ in press and will soon be available to those interested. It has 
not been possible to make the cost of this book sufficiently low to make 
it available to every sportsman and teacher. War conditions made it 
seem best to issue the book as one of the semicentennial series of the 
University of California. As a consequence the cost of the volume will 
be beyond the purse of the average person, even though no profit is to 
lh i 
— sr lt 
———— 
