the outlet to Turbid Lake, about 6 miles from Lake Junction, was rebuilt, the elevation of the bridge and approaches being made 5 feet higher than originally, thereby eliminating the former sharp descent to the bridge. Minor repairs to other bridges were made where necessary, and a number of galvanized-iron culverts were installed in connection with the other work of improvement. The viaduct or loop bridge on the east slope of Sylvan Pass needs replacing, and the work of so doing has been begun, but will not be completed until next year, work now having been suspended.

IN THE FOREST RESERVE.

Widening, grading, and surfacing.-During the year about 22 miles of the east approach was widened and graded, and surfaced where needed, making a total of 25 miles completed and leaving 2 miles (between the 6 and 8-mile posts from the park boundary) yet to be improved. A large amount of very heavy rockwork was involved in this section, especially the half farther from the park. The work also included several realignments as follows: One about one-quarter of a mile long, 900 feet of which was along a rock cliff, 24 miles from the park boundary; one 6,000 feet long at Holm Lodge and Libby Flats, between 8 and 10 miles from the boundary; and one about 1 mile long at the location of the new steel bridge over the North Fork of Shoshone River, 21 miles from the park boundary.

Steel bridges.-Contracts were let for the steel and erection of three low curved top chord-steel bridges, 100-foot span each, with riveted joints, located as follows: Two over the North Fork of the Shoshone River, 2 and 21 miles, respectively, from the park boundary, and one over Elk Fork, 23 miles from the boundary. The concrete abutments and floors of these bridges are being built by the Government. At this date the Elk Fork bridge is practically completed except for the floor, and the abutments for the two bridges over the North Fork are about half completed.

Other bridges and culverts.-Minor repairs were made where necessary to other bridges and culverts, and a number of galvanized iron culverts were installed in connection with the other work of improve

ment.

COOKE CITY ROAD.

General improvement. The work begun last year of widening and improving the road leading from Tower Falls to the northeast boundary, known as the Cooke City Road, was continued during the summer of 1915. The road was widened for about 4 miles and graveled an aggregate distance of about 2 miles, where most needed; and about 65 log bridges and culverts of various spans were installed. About 7 miles of road, beginning at the northeast boundary, has now been placed in very fair condition.

Work by Robert I. Mc Kay.-In addition to the work done at Government expense on the Cooke City Road, there has been some work done by Mr. Robert I. McKay and associates, who have considerable mining interests at Cooke City, Mont., about 4 miles outside the northeast boundary. As Mr. McKay has a permit from the Interior Department to operate motor trucks and trailers through the park from Cooke City to Gardiner, Mont., for the purpose of

hauling ore, machinery, etc., he and his associates are interested in the upkeep and improvement of the road. The principal work done by these interests to date consists of a realignment, 3,600 feet long, around what is known as the Ash Grade and S Hill, between 8 and 9 miles from the northeast boundary. This realignment slightly shortened the road and eliminated a hill with a 130foot climb, having an average road grade of about 62 per cent and a maximum grade of about 19 per cent. The work included the removal of considerable rock, boulders, gravel, etc., by blasting, the building of some crib retaining wall, and the construction of a 10-foot log bridge and five 3-foot and three 4-foot log culverts. In addition, some work was done not on the realignment mentioned, including the building of two log culverts of about 4-foot span each, and the replacing of a 21-foot span log bridge over Lost Creek, a short distance beyond Tower Falls toward Cooke City. At present work is being done by Mr. McKay and his associates on a realignment around a bad hill west of Pebble Creek, about 11 miles from the northeast boundary, on a realignment between the Soda Butte flat and the Jackson grade, about 14 miles from the boundary; and on graveling considerable portions of the road.

WORK IN GENERAL.

Telephone lines.-The opening of the park to automobiles on August 1 made essential an improved telephone service throughout the park. Sixty-three miles of new single-wire telephone line was built by the Engineer Department, which is being paid for by the Interior Department. There was repaired or rebuilt, in addition, 75 miles of telephone line, also at the expense of the Interior Department, excepting a small portion which was paid for by the Engineer Department.

Checking stations.-There were built during the year, for the use of and at the expense of the Interior Department, three automobile checking stations, of log construction, focated, respectively, at the west entrance, at the Madison Junction, 13 miles from the west entrance, and at the north junction of the Mount Washburn and Dunraven Pass Roads.

Automobile truck.-In line with the opening of the park to automobiles on August 1, 1915, there was purchased by the Engineer Department a 5-ton automobile truck. This has effected a large saving in the cost of the freight hauled by the truck. With the hoped-for extension next year of this method of transportation there will be effected a very considerable economy in the matter of hauling freight, which has always been a serious item in the costs of work done in the park.

Storehouse at Madison Junction.-A substorehouse for the Engineer Department, 108 feet long by 38 feet wide, of log construction, was built during the summer of 1915 at the junction of the Firehole, Gibbon, and Madison Rivers, about 13 miles from the west boundary, to be used principally for the storage of forage purchased in the fall, when the prices are most reasonable.

Gasoline storage tank.-Owing to the large increase in the amount of gasoline engine-driven plant it became advisable to build a 10,000

gallon capacity steel storage tank at Mammoth Hot Springs, thus enabling gasoline to be purchased by the tank carload, and saving about 35 per cent over the cost of the same when purchased in barrels or drums.

FISH.

The usual season's work of collecting eggs of the black-spotted trout and distributing them from the subhatchery on Yellowstone Lake to points throughout the United States was continued under the direction of the superintendent of the United States hatchery at Bozeman, Mont., Mr. W. T. Thompson, who also furnished trout for planting in park waters as follows:

May 11, 1915, 15,000 eastern brook trout in Blacktail Deer Creek, and the same number on the same date in Obsidian Creek. The usual plants of the surplus black-spotted trout were also made in park waters adjacent to the lake.

A pamphlet on "The Fishes of the Yellowstone National Park," Bureau of Fisheries, Document 818, printed in 1915, has been furnished for distribution during the past season and has proven a very popular and useful document to those interested in fishing in the park.

WILD ANIMALS.

Frequent rains throughout the summer, causing constant growth of grass, provided an abundance of pasture for all kinds of herbivorous animals. And on account of the cool weather due to the rains, elk, deer, and antelope remained in lower altitudes than usual, and were consequently often seen by tourists along the regular stage

routes.

ANTELOPE.

The woven-wire fence along the north line of the park near the northern entrance kept the antelope from leaving the park by drifting down the Yellowstone River, as they are inclined to do during severe storms if allowed to follow their own instincts. They were fed whenever necessary during the winter from the alfalfa hay raised on the field near the entrance arch, and while the winter was so open and the herd so scattered that an accurate count was not secured they were all in fine condition in the spring, and there is no doubt that there was a normal increase in the herd. Last fall there were 192 tons of alfalfa hay on hand for use during the winter in feeding the antelope, mountain sheep, and deer. As the winter was very mild it was necessary to feed but 80 tons, leaving 112 tons that were carried over to this year. During the summer the 45-acre field has been kept watered and has been cut twice and the hay, amounting to 82 tons, stacked for next winter. A part of the field has grown up enough so that it will be cut again, so there are something over 200 tons of hay in stack for the coming winter. This field was cared for and hay cut and stacked under contract this season at a cost of $5 per ton for the hay in stack. The same work cost $6.09 per ton season of 1914.

DEER.

While due to the open winter the deer were not in evidence in large herds as they are sometimes found, there seemed to be at least the usual numbers of both black-tailed and white-tailed varieties, and they were in splendid condition all winter Deer are frequently killed in open season by hunters several miles outside of the park, and I am convinced that many of them stray over the boundaries of the park annually.

ELK.

The weather was so mild and there was so little snow in March and April that the elk went up to high ground earlier than usual, and it was impracticable to take an accurate census of them. They were all in splendid condition, however, and careful estimates by experienced men placed the increase in the northern herd at 10 per cent and the decrease from natural causes at 3 per cent. Taking this into consideration, and deducting 375 elk shipped out of the park under authority of the department during the winter of 1914-15 leaves an estimated total of 37,192 in the herd. Those shipped were consigned as follows: January 25, 2 crated by express to the city park at Columbia, S. C.; January 27, 4 crated by express to the park commissioner, Borough of Queens, N. Y.; January 29, 3 crated by express to the mayor of St. Joseph, Mo.; February 12, 50 in 2 cars by freight to the State game warden of New Mexico; February 15, 50 in two cars by freight to the State of Montana; February 19, 50 in two cars by freight to the State of Idaho; February 21, 50 by express in a large express car to the State of South Dakota; February 24, 2 by express, crated, to Little Falls, Minn.; February 26, one car of 25 by freight to the State of Michigan, one car of 30 yearlings by freight to the State of Wisconsin, and 4 for the New York Zoological Society in the car by freight with elk for Michigan as far as St. Paul where they were crated and shipped the balance of the journey by express; March 3, 50 in a large car by express to the State of Colorado by the United States Biological Survey; March 5, one car of 25 by freight to the State of Utah by the United States Biological Survey; and the last shipment, on March 12, of one car of 30 by freight to the State of Minnesota. Allotments of elk for some other States were not filled on account of quarantine regulations for foot-and-mouth disease, which was prevalent in various sections during the winter. Unusual difficulty was found in capturing the elk wanted for shipment, as they did not come down for hay, on account of the warm winter. The experiment of shipping elk in carload lots by express, in the cases of South Dakota and Colorado, proved very satisfactory, as the animals receive better care than when shipped by freight, are not so long on the road, and with 50 in one large car the cost of shipping should not be much greater than if shipped in carloads of 25 by freight. In shipping by freight, rough handling of the cars by the railroads often results in considerable loss. Mr. F. M. Dille, who had charge of the shipment of the allotments made through the Department of Agriculture, is of the opinion that the method of shipment by express is far better than by freight. The presence of several bands of wolves has recently been noted on the elk ranges,

and it is feared that they will kill many of the calves. Arrangements are now being made to systematically hunt the wolves and coyotes in the park.

MOOSE.

Moose are frequently seen in various sections of the park. They are reported as thriving and increasing in numbers.

BUFFALO.

WILD HERD.

Little has been seen of this herd for the past two years, and it has not been practicable to get an accurate count of them.

TAME HERD.

The tame herd, which is kept on Lamar River near the mouth of Rose Creek, 30 miles east from headquarters, has been in the best of condition during the year. This herd now numbers 239 animals, as follows:

Of those disposed of one 5-year-old bull was donated by the department to the city of St. Joseph, Mo., and shipped at the expense of the city on January 4; one 6-year-old bull was killed in the herd April 5; one yearling bull was found dead on the range, apparently from eating poisonous weeds, the latter part of June, and one 6-yearold cow died September 17.

The herd is kept out on the range most of the time during the summer months. Several attempts have been made to drive a number of the old bulls out to the range of the wild herd and to get them together, but they always return to the main herd. The usual show herd of 15 bulls was brought in to Mammoth Hot Springs on June 15 and returned to the main herd on September 20. At the present rate of increase in the herd it will soon become necessary to dispose of a large number of them or provide additional facilities for their care. The herd would be in much better shape if at least a hundred of the bulls could be disposed of. About 200 acres of meadow land was kept watered during the summer, and the hay was cut and stacked in August, yielding about 150 tons, at a cost for cutting and stacking of $5.08 per ton. About 70 tons of last year's crop of hay is still on hand, and it is expected that 20 to 30 tons of good hay will be cut and stacked from a field sowed to oats last spring. This will insure an adequate supply of forage for the winter. Last winter being an open one, it was not necessary to begin feeding hay until January 26.