The Kusko times., 1925-12-26
GLACIER BAY LOCALITY
 FIELD FOR NATURALIsTs

That the Glacier Bay locality pre- sents the greatest field in all Alaska for natu. alists is the opinion of Jim Russell, himself a close student of animal and bird life, who returned to his home in Juneau recently after spending more than two months in the employ of the Bureau of Fisheries in the Glacier Bay country, says The Stroller Weekly. MT Russell, al- ways a close observer where wild life is concerned, states that the vicinity in which he spent his summer has been practically depleted of red sal mon, nc through fl shing in Glacier bay, but the maintaining of traps near the mouth of the bay In his opinion, the present regulations adopted by the Bureau of Fisheries will do much to restore red salmon in that district. Owing to the abund- ance of feed in the Glacier bay dis trict, MT. Russell says that 1t is the breeding ground of the wild foxes of the interior, which come there from the North, rear their young and re- turn to their native haunts at the ap- proach of winter. It is a natural breeding plaee for both animals and birds. During the summer many nests of ravens were seen, each nest containing from seven to eight eggs. Seagulls also nest in that locality, as do numerous varieties of ducks. A number of cider ducks were seen dur ing the summer, as were also num- Der of grebes, both very rare and the former a highly valuable variety. MT. Russell witnessed several inter esting drives during the summer, which proves to him that ducks have more sense than usually given credit for. He says thousands of sawbills will conduct a drive of young salmon by alighting on the water and, flap ping their wings and squawking, drive the little fish out to tte edge of the water, where they become an easy prey. It was also noticed that when a sawbill drive was on seagulls would circle over the scene of activi- ties in order that they share in the big feed when the stampeded fish were driven into shallow water.
 MT. Russell does not believe there is much hope for a Canadian port at the head of Glacier bay for some time to come. While the glacier is gradually receding, it will have to back up mile and a half before it reaches the international boundary, and just what port of entry in that somewhat inhospitable country would accomplish is not apparent to a lay man like Russell.
 The one-time home of John Muir, while he was studying the renowned glacier that bears his name, was vis- tied by MT. Russell, but little of it re- mains except the site, to visit The old stone fireplace is still intact, but Indians have carried off practically all of the wooden portion of the old house, which now exists only in the memory of the very few who ever saw it. MT. Russell secured a pie lure of what is left of it.
 The Muir glacier has also receded until but little is left of its former grandeur, but it is still classed as ''live," as is also the glacier at the head of Glacier bay. Grand Pacific glacier, west of the bay, and smaller one to the right, are both "live," but MT. Russell believes they are both dying. He thinks game sanctuary for number of years should be es- tablished in the locality described above and within short time it