Evening star., 1937-11-02

Glaciers of the continental United
States-possibly the last remnants OF
the great ice sheets which covered most
of the northern half of the country about
a million years ago-may be close to
extinction.
Some of the most notable of these are
now found in the high ranges of the
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colo
RADIO If prevailing climatic conditions
of the last five years continue for an
other few decades, park officials an
nounce, the glaciers will be entirely
gone.
Two glaciers have been measured
every year. One of them has shrunk
approximately 160 feet since 1882. A
smaller one has shrunk so feet. The
skrinkage has been observed every year
except 1885, the coldest winter of record
in that part of the country, when both
glaciers made big gains but not suffi-
cient to offset their accumulative losses.
The general trend of all North Ameri-
can glaciers, according to reports of the
American Geophysical Union, is toward
recession. For individual years they
may increase in size, but the gains do
not keep up with the losses. This
phenomenon reflects the contention Of
the Weather Bureau that for the last
so years there has been progressive
warming up of the climate which can
be detected statistically although it
might not be apparent otherwise. 1t
does not mean that each year is warmer
than the preceding one. Some of the
coolest years on record have fallen in
this period. But the general tendency
has been upwards.
Loss of~volume of the glaciers may be
due to increased average temperature,
decrease in annual snowfall, or COM
bination of the two factors. Park off,
cials believe that decrease in snowfall
over the period studied has been the
principle cause of the shrinkage. Unless
the next few years brings a, change
toward greater accumulation in the snow
fields. the glaciers of the park may be-
come mere perpetual snow banks and
eventually disappear altogether.
More than 1,500, 900 species of animals
and plants exist in the world, it is esti-
mated by Columbia University biolo-
gists.
There are 822,765 known species of
animals. The number of described
species of Towering plants is around
$4,000 and of lower plants 100000 These
known totals, however, are far from
inclusive. Many new species are de-
scribed each year and large additions
may be expected in the future.
Big game animals in the national
forests have more than doubled in the
past IL years, according to estimates
just made by foresters of the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
A total of approximately 1854, 900 deer,
elk, antelope, bear and mountain goats
now range on the170, ,000, 900 acres of the
national preserves. Deer are the most
widely distributed. They were estimated
at AL 900 in 1896. The game census
estimates 10000 elk, and 10000 ante
lope.
Black and brown bears showed an
increase of five per cent over the prev
ious years estimate. The total was
$1,000. Moose, long on the decline, seem
to have taken on new lease of life.
The legs of 5000 herring gulls have
been banded with brightly colored bands
by the United States Biological Survey
In an effort to study the migration and
other habits Of such birds. Young birds
not yet able to fly were banded at ten
stations along the Atlantic Coast from
LAoorador to New York.