The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-09-01
MANS ANIMAL ENEMIES.
7uFRE ARE ABOUT TWENTY Or
THEM IN THIS COUNTRY

e Agriculture will otter mover cou r,
Wilton to natural history. The topic X
III be "Animals Supposed to BE =,
Foes Of Mankind" and it will ten z
ahont the mammals and birds native =
to this country which are supposed 10 I
he hostile to human beings ana 'neif O
industries. 1,aoa
r. cannot be said that in the Unlteo
States bounties have brought about
the determination of single species
Of animal in any State. The rarity OF
wolves east of the Mississippi River Is
rather due to the settlement OF the
country than to the number Killed lot
rewards. On the great plains, where
civilization has not encroached upon
natures domain to any great EXTENT
the wolves have not decreased percep-
tiblv. Notwithstanding high premiums
maid for scalps. Almost undoubtedly
coyotes, which are small breed OF
wolves, have increased in California
during the last three years since Inc
bounty on them was withdrawn, so
that there are now as many OF them IN
that State as ever. California, Mon
tam and Texas offered S. apiece for
COYOTE scalps for some time, the out
law aggresating hundreds of thousands
dollars: but the results were unlm-
portant. Iowa and Minnesota are the
only Western States which now pay
more than So per wolf scalp, and in
Iowa the rate for young wolves is 81.
Meanwhile in some parts OF the
country wolves and coyotes are very
destructive. In New Mexico they kill
from $3.50, 1000 to 100000 worth OF
sheep annually, and in Nebraska the
damage done to sheep is reckoned at
500, 600 year. One difficulty in the
wolf problem lies in the fact that 1t Is
impossible to secure the cooperation
of all the States. The lack OF agree
ment on the subject Of bounties in gen.
eral opens wide door to fraud. Scalps
taken in localities where rewards are
low are shipped to place where preml'
inns are high, and thus it often hap
pens that a county is compelled to pay
for animals that did not belong to it.
At the present time the bounty on
wolves and coyotes varies from l.5O
4 to IS, the latter price being paid In
i the Black Hill regions OF South Dako-
Il ia. In North Dakota it is 81; it is s.
n in Montana and Wyoming, and in Iowa
+ it is s., except for young animals
Thus rewards may be claimed profit
p ably in Iowa for coyotes killed in NORTH
" Dakota.
N The wolf bounty in Nevada was tit
D, cents when California was Offering y
It for scalps Consequently, thousand
% of scalps were shipped from Nevada tt
oe California, aud large numbers OF then
Il: were actually imported from Mexico: 81
Ut that California found herself gettln
III poorer at distressing rate aud tn
u, bounty law was repealed. Owing t
"a Ignorance of natural history on ia
H. part of local authorities, heads OF d(
49, nestle fowls, cartridges, pheasants
Nv IN, cuckoos, butcher birds, ETC., were az
~ cepted and paid for as those OF hawk
:, and owls under the "scalp act
ne PENNSYLVANIA. The skins of dogs an
. ~, other domestic animals are frequent
~. turned in for those of wolves and CO
his otes. In the case of small animals tt
w. heads are sometimes accepted IN or
'es county and the tails in another count
on 50 that the premiums are collect'
49, twice.
40 One interesting effect Of the boun
=, svstem is to encourage the breedl1
NO Of the animals outlawed. 1t is SO
inc that in India many natives ore regult
he ly engaged in the business OF PROF
rest eating snakes for the sake OF the p
, to NUNS offered by the Government
os- yenomous serpents. There is
, he doubt that the same thing has be
ling done in this country with various
ties mails for which bounties were grant
" a For example, the eggs OF hawks
,ary owls have been taken from the ne
his and Matched under hens. In low
rs Is few years ago it was said to be m
lem. profitable to rear coyotes for the DO
con- ty than to raise sheep, and Kentu
n he and New Mexico have recognized
Iy Is possibility of breeding wolves by
During afidavits showing that
animals had not been raised for
ing a cake of rewards.
Brad The pocket gopher is one OF
that worst enemies man has to encoul
alton in the animal kingdom. 1t does al
n So work underground, the lines OF
V in. tunnels being marked by dead and
but ing plants. Its burrow runs foo
inan. less below the surface, and is dug
adley the purpose Of getting at the root
q far which it feeds. One may travel
social weeks in region infested by goph
omilv and vet see not one of them; they Il
ndon and destroy unobserved. The bu
itv Of in their past abundance were not
No. or. tenth so numerous. The gopher
r,ety not disappear before man, but rel
!, h,cb in the cultivated fields, making h
ot he among the crops and killing the c
pnt ards. The little beast is very bl
he or. not hesitating to attack mar
~ an slight provocation. When youn
,cansa looks strikingly like baby, b
lol1ars hairless and pink, with round
ohont and fat hands. It runs backwar
news. rapidly as forward through its tun
- refn, and it's equipment of teeth is so a
r,hon rable that it is able to make l;
y Ao,v cuts minute.
al ut A Marine Argus.
coolest The strancest cannoneer in tn
Globe tire animal kingdom is q naked
lrning: lnsl1 called onchidium. It inhabit