Evening star., 1937-03-14
The Preservation
of Wild Life.
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

KIND He said, out of full heart:
"Ilk happing bird, wee, helpless thing
That in the merry month of Spring
Delighted me to hear thee sing
What comes O. thee?
Where wilt thou cover thy chitterinp
wing
And close thine ee?"
Many years have passed since then
and in the meantime, men have shot and
trapped not only many birds but many
mammals which have ranged our coun-
try. Some have been large like the
milllonfold buffalo, some have been
small. The fox still barks within sound
OF the National Capital and digs its
earth unharmed and, on the Western
pralrleS, the coyote still is a nuisance
and the Government finds it necessary
10 pay bounty on wolves-timber
wolves, those inVeterate enemies of men.
BIRDS have been brought down by the
hundredS OF thousands by hunters who
wanted them, on the one hand for food
and, on the other for sport.
1t is true that, in spite of the deStruc-
ton which men have wrought, wild life
does persist. The ways and Wiles OF
the wild folk of tree and wood and
meadow are such that they are able to
elude the snares and guns of men to
an astonishing degree, but not wholly
So Over the years there has been a
diSheartening reduction in their num-
berS, until now an organized effort is
being made to restore at least a part Of
that old wild population which once had
its life here along with the red Indian.
The United States Government has
taken leading part and there now is
Wild life conservation agency, under the
Department of Agriculture. For many
years the Bureau of Biological Survey
has existed, but it has spent its efforts
more in the direction of study of wild
life than in conservation. It's activities
have naturally been dictated by the acts
OF Congress under which it functions
and limited by the appropriations given.
President Roosevelt has a keen inter-
est in the wild life of the country and
has used his influence to forward plans
for conservation. He, more than any
other President, has aided the cause and
has encouraged private individuals to
go forward on their own hook
There now are four agencies. all in
tereSted in the study of American wild
life among birds and animals. These
are the Biological Survey, the Amer
lean Wild Life Institute, the State game
commissions and the land grant COL
legeS. These four agencies were brought
together into a sort of co-ordinating
body, known as the General Wild Life
Federation, which, just year ago, was
organized at the first North American
Wild Life Conference Representatives
Of every branch attended the conference
and submitted plans for wholesale
betterment.
One of the first results was the dona-
tion by a group Of gun and powder
manufacturers of a substantial sum Of
money to be used in research in the
ways of the creatures ii was intended TO
save. The money was arranged to be
expended under the supervision of the
Biological Survey. There was not enough
to cover the entire country, so nine
States were selected for special atten-
ton. These were Maine, Connecticut,
Ohio Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Iowa,
Utah and oregon.
1t was thought that so wide a selec-
ton would serve the purpose of ade-
ihnCC tPA CSCIlCdIAOIi III edCIl oGdIS LIle
land grant college was made the head
quarters of the research. Competent
biologists. selected by the survey for
their executive and administrative ability
as well as for their knowledge of the
basic subject and their scientific stand
ing, were assigned to each unit and nine
separate work programs were laid out.
A year has passed. While a year is
~
any cycle of wild life, it has proved
an informative start, and all parties to
the work agree that no time has been
wasted. There now has been organized
group OF research workers totaling
one hundred and forty-two Aside from
the nine leaders, one each to a State,
there are nine full-time research BIZ
ologiSts. thirty-three graduate students,
thirty-seven temporary assistants, forty
five college staff members, with nine
clerical assistants. In the first year,
some one hundred and ninety-five thou
sand dollars has been expended.
To the casual citizen who cares moth
ing about wild life, it may seem some
what idle to spend so much effort and
money to study the ways of wild crea-
lures, but there are enough other citi-
zenS, keenly enough interested, to do
all they can to press forward the work.
1t may seem trif1e odd that some of
them have what might be described as
a contrary interest. That is TO say, they
want to see the numbers of wild crea-
lures, whether of fur or feather. in
creased to the end that there may be
more to shoot. Others are not inter-
eSted in the hunting aspect but want to
see the numbers of these beings in
creased for their own sake The Gov
ernment has a dignified, detached in
tereSt, but, it may not be forgotten the
first great natural resource of the United
States to be exploited was the fur re-
source, and it still remains an important
one
AT the present state of the work. the
private lives of tWenty-SeVen species are
being studied. The full life history OF
the Alabama mourning dove is being
followed, while in Connecticut it is the
humble cotton tail rabbit which is oC-
cupying the time of the researchers. In
Iowa the workers are writing the biog-
raphies of the striped and spotted
skunks the coot, the cotton tail and the
blue wing teal. Fox squirrels take up
the time of the workers in Ohio and
antelopes that of those in Oregon. In
Texas attention is being chiefly given
to Attwater prairie chicken, mule deer
and sage grouse, while sharp tail grouse
are the focus in Utah In Maine wood
cock hold the attention and in Virginia
wild turkey.