[Illustration:  THE WICHITA NATIONAL BISON HERD Presented by the New York Zoological Society]

In Alaska there is some dissatisfaction over the protection accorded the big brown bears; but those rules are right as far as they go!  A governor of Alaska once said to me:  “The preservation of the game of Alaska should be left to the people of Alaska.  It is their game; and they will preserve it all right!”

The answer? Not by a long shot!

Only three things were wrong with the ex-governor’s view: 

1.—­The game of Alaska does not belong to the people who live in Alaska—­with the intent to get out to-morrow!  It belongs to the 93,000,000 people of the Nation.

2.—­The preservation of the Alaskan fauna on the public domain should not be left unreservedly to the people of Alaska, because

3.—­As sure as shooting, they will not preserve it!

Congress is right in appropriating $15,000 for game protection in Alaska.  It is very necessary that the regulations for conserving the wild life should be fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture, with the advice of the Biological Survey.

THE BLACK BEAR is an interesting citizen.  He harms nobody nor anything; he affords good sport; he objects to being exterminated, and wherever in North America he is threatened with extermination, he should at once be given protection!  A black bear in the wilds is harmless.  In captivity, posed as a household “pet,” he is decidedly dangerous, and had best be given the middle of the road.  In big forests he is a grand stayer, and will not be exterminated from the fauna of the United States until Washington is wrecked by anarchists.

THE AMERICAN BISON.—­I regard the American bison species as now reasonably secure against extermination.  This is due to the fact that it breeds persistently and successfully in captivity, and to the great efforts that have been put forth by the United States Government, the Canadian Government, the American Bison Society, the New York Zoological Society, and several private individuals.

The species reached its lowest ebb in 1889, when there were only 256 head in captivity and 835 running wild.  The increase has been as follows: 

1888—­W.T.  Hornaday’s census 1,300 1902—­S.P.  Langley’s census 1,394 1905—­Frank Baker’s census 1,697 1908—­W.T.  Hornaday’s census 2,047 1910—­W.P.  Wharton’s census (in North America) 2,108 1912—­W.P.  Wharton’s census (in North America) 2,907

To-day, nearly one-half of the living bison are in very large governmental parks, perpetually established and breeding rapidly, as follows: 

IN THE UNITED STATES.

Yellowstone Park fenced herd, founded by Congress 125
Montana National Bison Range, founded by The American Bison Society 69
Wichita Bison Range, founded by The New York Zoological Society 39
Wind Cave Bison Range, S. Dakota, founded by Am.  Bison Society To be
  stocked
Niobrara (Neb.) National Bison Range, now in process of creation To be
  stocked