Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-04
KILLED $500 DEER
Number of Animals Slain in
Course of Year.
OPENING OF BISON RANGE
Herd of Thirty-Seven on Flathead
Indian Reservation.
INQUIRY INTO SPOTTED FEVER
Thought to Be Carried by Ticks.
Other Facts in Biological
Survey Report.
OPENING OF BISON RANGE
INQUIRY INTO SPOTTED FEVER

Progress in game protection, both big
game and game birds, throughout the
United States is reviewed in the report
of the United States biological survey
of the Department of Agriculture. Just
issued by the chief Of the bureau, H. w.
Henshaw. The years kill of deer in the
states where such hunting is permitted
totaled $500. just about the same as the
previous year, but there were large in
creases in some states and corresponding
decreases in others. The number of hunt
ing fatalities increased about 80 per
cent over the previous year
1t was found very hard to secure con-
Victions for the illegal marketing of game
and game birds, but some progress was
made, and the governors of several states
have taken up the matter and will try
10 change the state laws. The federal
game law for Alaska is working quite
satisfactorily.
Conditions on Bison Range.
Reference is made in the report to the
opening of the national bison range on
the Flathead Indian reservation. The
hero there now consists of thirty-seyen
pure bred bison, under the care of a
warden and all the prospects are favor
able Tor the increase of the herd
one or the most interesting pieces of
work done by the survey in the last year
was the investigation of the outbreak of
spotted fever in the Bitter Root valley.
Montana. 1t is suspected that this fever
Is conveyed by ticks that infest ground
squirrels and other animals in that re-
Slon Two scientific assistants of the
survey were sent into the fed and work
| ed at the problem all summer. Their
work IS not yet conclusive, but probably
the tick theory is correct and the fatal
disease can be controlled by controlling
| the squirrels.
In cooperation with the public health
and marine hospital service the survey
has worked on the problem of bubonic
| plague carried by the ground squirrels
| Of the Pacific coast. There have been
several thousand ground squirrels killed
and examined in the plague region. OF
| these only 3S1 were plague-infected, SO it
| is believed the disease is not widespread
among the squirrels and may be easily
controlled.
To Save Trees From Mice.
Efforts have been made to find a coat
| ing for tree seeds that would protect
| them from mice, squirrels and other
small rodents. where the forest service
was trying to reforest large areas. So
far there has been no effective coating
found, and the control has to be by
poisoning. 1t is found that if the region
be literally poisoned a few days before
| the planting is done it has very bene-
fetal effect
Studies have been made of birds in
| relation to fruits and crops. One of the
species that is still under consideration
! is the fycatcher. 1t destroys large
number of noxious insects, but it is ac-
| cused of killing honey bees. and it has
1>t> ,0fl
good that 1T does outweighs the evil. The
| same is true of the sapsuckerS They
kill very large number Of harmful in
sects. but they do a great deal of dam
age to commercial timber. 1t is esti-
mated that they cost the lumbermen
about 81 $50 900 annually in lowering the
market grade of timber they attack.
Their case is still under consideration.