Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-05-18

mountain goat, bear and mountain lion which
once roamed this continent. Neither are these
hunters going out with the avowed purpose of
further declmating the numbers of American
big game
Instead they are going out wth--beeve 1t OK
not TAPE measures and pencil and paper (cer-
tainly not very deadly Weaponsl and they will
be concerned not with killing more big game but
with animals that have already been killed
Which Is by way OF saying that the purpose OF
this big game hunt Is to find out where are the
worlds record big game heads, who was the hunter
who secured these trophies, where were they Sc
cured, who owns them now, etc
For four years the New York Geological So
ciety has carried on active campaign to To-
cate all the largest heads Of American game
During that time 1t has established the National
Collection of Heads and Horns and has brought
together the finest collection of these trophies
in the world, housing them In a fine building
dedicated to the vanishing Big Game Of the
World"
In December OF last year 1t published book
called Records OF North American Big Gamen
prepared by a committee composed of Prentiss
N. Gray, editor; Kermit Roosevelt, Madison
Grant, w. Redmond Cross, George Harrison, and
e. Hubert Litchfeld In compiling this work
more than $4,000 questionnaires were sent out
hHu The dlu VI mOTe ludU oyUUu SpDTLSIueQ, mu-
scum and owners of trophies was enlisted
A standard method of measurement was de-
veloped and all measurements submitted for In
clusion In the record were required to be made
by one Of the cooperating museums or a repre-
sentative Of the National Collection OF Heads
and Horns. From the several thousands meas
ured, total of 1911 trophies were selected for
inclusion In the record, making 1t a veritable
Almanac de Gotha of the monarchs OF the plains
and mountains.
The book was divided into IS sections, deal
Ing with all varieties of big game on this CONT
nent, and each section was edited by an author
ity the species. among them such nationally
known scientists and sportsmen as DR.. George
Bird Grinnel, Ernest Thompson Seton, DIR. c.
Hart Merriam, Samuel Merrill Wifred H. Os-
good, II. e. Anthony, Madison Grant, e. W. Mel
son, Maj. e. A. Goldman, DR.. Thomas Barbour,
Edmund Seymour Thierry Mallet and G. Fl.
Townsend.
The society Is now planning to issue another
edition of the Records to bring 1t up to date and
during the coming year its official measurers will
spend considerable time In various parts of the
country especially in the Rocky Mountain
states, visiting every town to measure trophies
I'VE know that many fine trophies must exist
In homes hotels and cafes In the small towns
Of the Rocky Mountain states and we wish to
locate and measure as many Of them as pos
sibe" says Prentiss N. Gray, editor OF the Rec
ords ut Is quite possible that among them we
shall find some worlds records. Such heads
have considerable monetary value and while
we have no interest In purchasing any heads,
doubtless many persons who possess trophies
large enough to be listed In the Records would
be glad to realize on them or at least to know
that they are valuable
Those In charge of the Records have been
obliged In the past-and this holds good for the
future, also-to accept only measurements au-
thenticated by recognized natural history mu-
seums their own representatives. This Is not
a reflection on the honesty OF the measurements
of the owner Of the trophy, but they early dis
covered that some over-zealous taxidermists con-
sldered 1t good practice and pleasing to their