Evening star., 1937-05-06
/ j. s. RESERVES
URAN|MALS
Preservation of Bison and
Elk Seems Assured Man,
maIogists Told.

Bison, antelope. mountain sheep,
elk and musk ox-North American big
game animals brought to the edge of
extinction by contact with civiliza-
tlon-are being sheltered on II large
Federal animal reserves.
Efforts of the Federal Government
to save its rare creatures, which
once existed in herds of countless
numbers, were described to the Amer
ican Society Of Mammalogists meet
ing here today by Stanley P. Young
OF the Biological Survey.
The preservation of both bison and
elk, he said, seems to be assured. Both
animals have thrived in their pro-
tected surroundings. The western
antelope, only American member of
this family which is most abundant
in Africa, offers a more difficult
problem. The animal apparently
needs wide range. Its numbers once
were beyond estimate.
Preserve for Musk OK,
large preserve has been estab-
lshed on Nunivak Island, Alaska,
primarily to save the musk OK. This
is one Of the most ancient of North
American animals. Varieties of musk
OK, recent finds have revealed, we're
present in the extreme South of the
United States at the end of the last
ase, more than million years ago,
and were hunted by the first human
q hit y,fe NJ
More than 100000 acres of other
wise useless land has been set aside
In Nevada as sanctuary for the
southern variety of the Rocky Noun
tain sheep, which was fast approach
ing extinction.
Within these sanctuaries, Mr.. Young
pointed out, hunting is absolutely
prohibited. so that refuge is afforded
to other life forms, such as the fast
disappearing sage hen. An effort
also Is being made to save the Texas
longhorn. These cattle were not
native animals, but played such an
important historical part In the set
tlement Of the West that every ef-
fort Is being made to save them from
extinction. They have long since
been replaced by much better adapt
ed breeds on the great cattle ranches.
Three herds are being safeguarded
on preserves.
Muskrats in Maryland.
Maryland reaps S4,00O,0OO annual
muskrat harvest, DR.. Vernon Bailey
of the Biological Survey told the
society yesterday.
The dense swamps around Chesa-
peake Bay and the Maryland river
valleys. DR.. Bailey said, breed the
finest muskrats on earth and the num-
Der has not decreased appreciably
within historic times. About 1000 900
now are trapped each year.
With reasonable precautions, this
can be continued indefinitely, he said.
The animals are prolific breeders and
If too few are trapped the food sup
ply will be exhausted and all will
starve to death. If too many are
trapped the necessary breeding stock
is depleted.
Reports on Animal Hair.
AAASAASN-> AAOA4AlSo ~Oulu 1ldFC
a fellow spirit in Ned Dearborn of
Hilton Village, Va, who reported to
the mammalogists his studies of cross
sections of animal hairs.
Starting 20 years ago, Mr.. Hilton
has made intensive microscopic studies
Of the shapes of individual hairs of
various animal species He found
that not only is it possible to deter
mine the species from few hairs-as
might be essential in detective work
but that the hairs show adaptive Pc
culiarities Of structure.
Cat hairs are cylindrical. Dog hairs
are elliptical. Rat hairs are beauti-
fully fluted, like Corinthian columns.
Nature has provided tile roofs for
some animals, notably the rabbits.
They have hairs followed on the side
facing away from the skin. It is the
difference, Mr.. Dearborn says, between
q tile and q thatched roof.
The finest hairs are those of certain
species Of bats. They measure 1-l00th
Of millimeter in diameter.