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Deen I EO TI TS STS | 
one study area had fed on birds; last year, with high water, only 10 of 
72 specimens contained birds. In 1950, broods of waterfowl, instead of be- 
ing confined to channels where they were vulnerable to the torpedo attacks 
of turtles, were free to move over the flooded marshes. The pied-billed 
grebe, a deep-water diving bird, with the diving ducks a close second, oc- 
curred most frequently in the food-habits study, which is being conducted 
by Malcolm W. Coulter, assistant Unit leader. The ring-necked duck and 
the golden-eye were taken most frequently, although wood duck and green- 
winged teal also were found. One turtle in each four examined in the 
study to date had fed upon birds. Because the purpose of the study is to 
determine the effects of turtle predation on waterfowl, trapping has been 
confined to the waterfowl breeding season and to areas where waterfowl 
are common. 
Dr. Howard Mendall, leader of the Unit, cautions that there is still 
insufficient evidence for a blanket condemnation of the snapper as a water- 
fowl predator and suggests that sportsmen await the final results of the 
study before undertaking intensive local control programs as a waterfowl 
conservation measure. 
fl Fl FI 
BLM Tightens Strip-mining Regulations: Under a new regulation of 
the Bureau of Land Management, strip-miners on public lands must take 
necessary precautions to minimize damage to timber, grazing lands, crops, 
and waters. 
Few human activities leave more unsightly after-effects or leave the land 
in such unproductive condition as strip mining for coal where the work is 
not rigidly restricted by law or the conscience of the operators. The earth 
is literally turned inside out to bare the mineral deposits, leaving great 
eroding banks of subsoil lying starkly on the surface. The landscape from 
the air, in some parts of the country, looks as though a drunken giant had 
been turned loose upon it with a massive plow. Seepage of acids into the 
streams after mining operations cease is a source of the most destructive 
pollution. 
Under the new regulation, no lessee of mining rights on public lands 
of the United States will be permitted to operate unless he agrees to leave 
the land in a condition as near its former state as possible. The regulation 
specifically requires him to fill all sump holes, ditches, and other excava- 
tions; remove and cover all debris; and to remove any structures “as and 
if required.” 
Under penalty of cancellation of his lease, the lessee must also take 
all precautions to avoid unnecessary soil erosion, pollution, and damage 
to timber and grazing lands. 
rel fl ai 
Known Range of Oak Wilt Extended in 1950: Oak wilt, a fungus dis- 
ease which is causing grave concern in forestry and wildlife circles, has 
been discovered in six new states as a result of the joint survey made by 
the individual states and the Division of Forest Pathology of the U. S. 
Department of Agriculture. 
