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MAMMALS.

The abundance of mammals or birds in a wild state is determined largely by the quantity and character of food that nature provides. The Sequoia and General Grant National Parks are favored in this respect, furnishing an abundance of the food necessary for both mammals and birds.

Mammal life in the Sequoia and General Grant National Parks is more abundant and of greater variety than a casual observer would think possible, as a great portion of them are crepuscular and nocturnal in habit, and as the consequence are seldom seen by the park visitors.

Altogether 51 kinds of mammals are native to the parks, made up of the following species: Elk, deer, mountain sheep, squirrels, flying squirrels, rats, mice, pocket gophers, pocket rats, pocket mice, jumping mice, porcupine, pica, hares, rabbits, bear, wolves, foxes, mountain lion, lynx, ring-tailed cat, raccoon, wolverine, skunks, martin, fisher, weasels, moles, shrews, and bats.

There is a marked increase from year to year in practically all the food-bearing mammals and decrease in all predatory and harmful species of rodent mammals, as the two latter mentioned are constantly being killed by the park rangers whenever opportunity offers. All game mammals are quite tame and are a source of very great pleasure to the park visitors.

BIRDS.

The Sequoia and General Grant National Parks are the home of both migratory and breeding birds. Millions of these creatures either make their nests or spend several weeks of each year within the parks, and since once having found such a place they continue to come in ever-increased numbers, and have a tendency to spread out from the locality.

Owing to the topography of the parks and their varied climatic conditions, birds of both the torrid and frigid zones come to them. There is a constant movement of the birds north and south, and from the high mountains to the lower and from the lowlands to the higher elevations.

One hundred and ninety-four species of bird life are known to inhabit the parks, made up of the following: Loons, cormorant, ducks, geese, swan, herons, bitterns, coot, stilt, snipe, sandpipers, killdeer, plover, partridges, grouse, pheasant, wild turkey, wild pigeon, dove, condor, vulture, hawks, eagles, owls, cuckoos, kingfisher, woodpeckers, goatsuckers, swifts, humming birds, flycatchers, lark, crow, raven, jays, magpie, blackbirds, oriole, finches, sparrows, grosbeaks, siskin, juncoes, towhees, buntings, tanager, swallows, waxwing, phainopepla, shrike, vireos, warblers, wagtail, dipper, mocking bird, thrashers, wrens, creepers, nuthatches, titmice, kinglets, gnat catchers, thrushes, solitaire, robin, and bluebirds.

A few of the above species are rare and seldom seen, but as a rule birds occur very abundantly in the parks at all seasons and are a source of gratification to the park visitors.

8161°-INT 1915-VOL 1-60

FISH.

Fishing was fairly good throughout the season and a great many persons availed themselves of this sport. The heavy drain on some of the waters would indicate necessity of their being restocked next year.

FOREST CONDITIONS.

The forests of the parks are all in healthy condition and fair state of preservation and reproductiveness. The attack that was started last year on the red fir (Abies magnifica) in the Sequoia Park by a bark aphid of the genus Lachnus has practically ceased, the insects having apparently been destroyed by their natural enemy. No new outbreaks of insect enemies of the forests have been detected.

FOREST FIRES.

One fire, cause unknown, was detected soon after its origin just west of Camp Sierra tourist camp in Sequoia Park on July 30, but was extinguished by campers before damage was done. Three fires that occurred on the national forest domain just west of and in near vicinity of the Sequoia Park were extinguished by volunteer fire fighters, forest and park rangers, prior to their entering the park.

EXTENSION OF PARK BOUNDARIES.

The subject of extending the boundaries of the Sequoia National Park so as to include Mount Whitney, the Kern and Kings River Canyons, is one that is now attracting the attention of the citizens of both State and Nation. Quite a number of new boundaries have been proposed, but I am of the opinion that the following boundary suggested by Mr. R. B. Marshall, chief topographer, Geological Survey, would be most desirable:

Beginning at a point on the range line between ranges 31 and 32 east, in township 18 south, of the Mount Diablo base and meridian, being a point on the present eastern boundary of the Sequoia National Park where it crosses the hydrographic divide between Little Kern River and Soda Creek; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide between Little Kern River and Soda Creek to the junction of Little Kern River and Quail Creek; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide between Quail Creek and Lion Creek to the summit of the Great Western Divide: thence southeasterly along the Great Western Divide to Coyote Peak; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide to the junction of Kern River and Little Creek, about one-half mile south of Kern Lake and between that lake and Little Lake; thence easterly along the main divide south of Little Creek and between Golden Trout Creek and Cold Creek (tributaries of Kern River) to the summit of Kern Peak; thence northerly and easterly along the hydrographic divide between South Fork of Kern River and Golden Trout Creek to the summit of the Sierra Nevada; thence northerly along the main crest of the Sierra Nevada to Pine Creek Pass at the head of Piute Creek; thence following westerly down Piute Creek through French Can

yon to junction of the South Fork of San Joaquin River and Piute Creek; thence southerly along the main hydrographic divide to the summit of Mount Henry; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide between the drainage of the South Fork of the San Joaquin River and the drainage of the North Fork of Kings River to the junction with Goddard Divide; thence southerly and westerly along the hydrographic divide between Goddard Creek and the drainage of North Fork of Kings River, and along the divide between Crown Creek and Blue Canyon Creek, along Kettle Ridge to Kettle Dome; thence southwesterly along the hydrographic divide to the junction of Crown and Fawn Creeks; thence westerly along the hydrographic divide between Fawn Creek and Rodgers Creek to Oblisk Peak; thence westerly along the main hydrographic divide south of Rodgers Creek to Spanish Mountain; thence southerly along the hydrographic divide (Deer Ridge) to the junction of the South and Middle Forks of Kings River; thence southerly along the hydrographic divide between Tenmile Creek and Lockwood Creek and along the Sequoia and Big Baldy Ridges to Big Baldy; thence southerly along the hydrographic divide (Big Baldy Ridge) to the junction of Redwood Creek and the North Fork of Kaweah River; thence following down the east bank of the North Fork of Kaweah River to the junction of Cactus Creek; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide between Cactus Creek, Maple Creek, and the North Fork of the Kaweah River to Ash Peaks; thence southerly along the hydrographic divide west of Alder Creek to the junction of the Middle and East Forks of Kaweah Rivers; thence south and easterly along the hydrographic divide between the East Fork of Kaweah River and Salt Creek, over Red Hill, to Case Mountain; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide (Salt Creek Ridge) between the South and East Forks of Kaweah River to Homers Nose; thence southwesterly along the hydrographic divide east of Bennett and Burnt Camp Creeks to the junction of Burnt Camp Creek and the South Fork of Kaweah River; thence southeasterly along the hydrographic divide to Dennison Mountain; thence easterly along the hydrographic divide (Dennison Ridge) between the South Fork of Kaweah River, the North Fork of Tule River, and the North Fork of the Middle Fork of Tule River to Sheep Mountain; thence northeasterly along the hydrographic divide between the South Fork of Kaweah River, Pecks Canyon, Soda Creek, and Little Kern River to the place of beginning.

This proposed boundary is a natural one, formed by many mountain ridges. The new territory to be acquired is now national-forest domain, is of little value commercially, and of very great value as a national park. Its natural beauties are many and unsurpassed; it is a natural game preserve; there are no agricultural lands within the indicated boundary, and only sufficient grazing for the tourists' stock and the game that would inhabit the region if hunting thereon was prohibited.

The setting aside of this region for a national park and the building of roads therein, thus making accessible for tourist travel, would therefore result in no economic loss, but in the incalculable economic gain of bringing to the region thousands of visitors who spend their money elsewhere.

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