October 1929

The Yosemite Museum Volume VIII

OCTOBER, 1929

Number io Department of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary National Park Service Horace M. Albright, Director

official publication of the

YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSN.

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AMERICAN FORESTS AND FOREST

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YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES THE PUBLICATION OF THE YOSEMITE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT AND THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

Published rno1lthly Volume VIII October 1929 Number Io

BLISTER - RUST AND ITS CONTROL

By George A. Root The white pine blister-rust, a and the California sugar pine, spedestructive disease of white pines, cies of great commercial impor is now established in western North tance. It is a bark disease on the America, in the states of Idaho, pine, killing trees or branches by Montana, Washington and Oregon, shutting off the supply of sap 'Pile having come in 1921 by natural disease does not spread from pine spread from an infection in British to pine. From diseased pines it Columbia The disease is of En]ospreads to currant and gooseber ry pean origin, having been introduced leaves for distances up to 100 miles into eastern United States on pines or more by means of wind_-carried imported from Germany. It was spores. These produce a rust on first found in New York state in the under side of the leaves, which 1906, and since that time has spread in a short time produce spores over a considerable portion of that which carry the disease back to the state and New England It is als pines These spores are short-lived found in some of the lake states and pines within a comparatively The rust is only destructive to short distance become infected those trees which bear their needles This distance has been set at about in bundles of five. In this group 1000 feet_ This makes it possible come the eastern white pine, the to control the disease locally by de western white or mountain pine. stroyinp currants and gooseberries Editor's note: George A. Root. assistant patholpark naturalist July 23 to 26, setogist, Bureau of Plant Industry Mg as instructor to our Yosemite United States Department of Agri School of Field Natural History on culture. in charge o. blister rust the subject of forest tree diseases control for California, was a visitor and lecturing at hotels and camps In Yosc- : iite;:t the invitation of the o th valley.

known as alternate hosts, within that protection from insect pests the above infecting distance. Exand plant disease should be affordperiments conducted during the last ed this magnificent tree. Its disfour years in the western forests inappearance from the forest canopy dicate that this can be done at a from whatever cause would indeed figure low enough to be econonrihe a calamity. tally feasible. The finding of pinyon blister The presence of the disease in rust on gooseberry leaves near MirOregon and its gradual spread to roe lake is worthy of mention. This the south makes it a potential menrust attacks the pinyon or nut pine, ace to the sugar pines of California common on the eastern slopes of The sugar pine is typically a Cali the Sierras. This tree has one fornia tree, and the largest pine needle instead of five, like the species growing in the United sugar pine. From this tree are obStates. Aside from its high value tained the well known pine nuts. as a timber tree its importance from an aesthetic standpoint canPhis rust, of ne particular economic importance, is of interest because not be overlooked. This is espeit has the same alternate hosts as cially true with reference to the national parks of the state. Its the white pine blister rust. It is long extending branches and large difficult to distinguish the currant cones make it a marked tree to the or gooseberry stage of these two thousands of park tourists. It is rusts. That they are of two distinct hard to conceive the Sierra Nevada species has been determined by la boratory without sugar pine. boratory innoculations and the t•u't It is sufficient to say that the that sugar pines growing in a hi'ss national park authorities are alive iiy infected pinyon area have never.o the situation They are aware shown infection Pacific Oak Twig Girdler By H. E. Perry visitors in Yosemite this summer the black oak is quite unusual for. have commented frequently on the its work is ordinarily limited to live premature withering of scattered oak trees. leaves in the black oak trees which The life cycle'of the Pacific oak are so common on the floor of the twig girdler requires two yea valley. The leaves thus noted have Adults emerge from dead twt `gv a tendency to cling to the twigs and from May through July. During the effect gives an unhealthy apthis stage, they feed on the foliage pearance to the trees. Close examof the host trees. Eggs are laid ination of the affected twigs resingly on the bark of live twigs and weals the presence of the small a larva hatches from each egg by scale-like egg covering of a tiny cutting its way through the bottom beetle known as the Pacific oak of fli p c;,n into the bark. There. twig girdler (Agrilus angelicas) after it bores spirally along the The development of this beetle on tender inner hark, thus girdling the

q5 twig. Towards the end of the secsible that they will not live out the and year, the larva forms a eel] in winter, according to Dr. H. E the wood of the twig and remains Burke, who discovered their presin the pupa stage for a few weeks, ence on these trees. If such proves after which it emerges as an adult, to be the case, little damage will flies to the foliage, feeds, mates, lays possibly twenty-five or thirty result this time and the Pacific oak eggs on the bark of as many live twig girdIer will probably not be twigs, and thus the life cycle Is seen on these trees again until begun anew. some of the adult beetles fly away Inasmuch as the larvae are work from their usual host, the live oaks, ing on the black oak tree this sum and again deposit their eggs on the mer, an unusual host tree, it is pos twigs of the black oak. Marmots Are Disappearing By H. C. Bryant William Colby, secretary of the Club members. He saw one or Sierra Club and leader of more more of these marmots on several than twenty-five back country trips past the same location August trips in the Sierra Nevada, has resecond and third. cently called attention to the scareAs a hypotheses for the disapity of marmots. He states that on pearance of this large mammal, this summer's trip of the Sierra often times called ground hog or Club from Huntington Lake northwoodchuck, the following might be ward over the Muir trail to Yonamed : disease, periodic f]uctusemite National Park through terations in numbers, weather conritory where marmots were once ditions, or normal disappearance very abundant the club did not see of a species toward the close of the a single animal. Marmots were once age of animals. So far no real eviabundant around the camp at Mel. Bence is at hand to back up any of ced Lake; this year a party of these or any other guess as to the twenty-one, while making the disappearance of this animal, which rounds of the Hikers Camps, failed ten years ago was exceedingly corn to see a single marmot at Merced mon near timber line throughout Lake and but one during the whothe central Sierra Nevada. It is trip, this one on the north side of quite possible that this can be con. Vogelsang Pass. Ten years ago marsidered a time of minimum uum mots were commonly seen around bers and it seems reasonable to exthe Sierra Club Lodge at Tuolumne pect that a series of year's will Meadows; this year not a single bring these fast breeding rodents to animal was discovered. Above Te another period of abundance. naya Lake marmots are still to be Cycles of scarcity and abundance seen as in past years. C. A. Har are known for almost all rodents well, Park Naturalist, reports see The gray squirrel suffered diminuIng four on the Ticga Reed two Con as the result of a severe dis miles welt of Teneys Lake while ease several years ago until not,i out with a pert}• 'a' r1'; l :Co :. i one wile to be found nit the floor

of the Valley. Now it is again enthe fact that marmots are scarce croaehing upon its former habitat. throughout the Yosemite National At least six different squirrels have been noted on the Valley floor for Park region this year, Evidence is the past summer. yet to be gathered as to the real There seems to be no doubt about reason for this scarcity Billy, the Bear, Sets a Record By P. J. White The bears of Yosemite National environment his diet consists of Park are arousing more interest various kinds of seeds, fruits and than any other feature of the park berries, such as the berries of the "Where do we go to see the bears?" coffee berry (Rhamnus 'californi Many times a day this question is ems), green manzanita (Arctosta asked the ranger-naturalist, who phylos patula), wild cherry (Prunus obligingly directs the inquirers tr, demissa) and poison oak (Rhus dithe likeliest place. It is unfortuversiloba). Grasses, liliaceous nate that all of these interested vieplants and seed heads of various itors to Yosemite could not have annuals are consumed. Carpenter been at the government cookhouse ants and other insects are taken in one evening during the last week considerable numbers But when of July when Billy, a big, amiable, he lives near huban habitations he black bear, came for his regular adds many choice articles to his evening cleanup of the garbage pail hill of fare. Unguarded hams Billy was greeted cordially by the canned goods, sugar and bacon are men who planned to give him a much to his liking and he does a for treat that he woi:'d never forget of prowling about camps looking and, at the same time, test the eat for them Garbage cans are quite ing capacity of a big hungry bear systematically turned over and The volunteer cooks soon had ho' searched But this is not the encakes covered with syrup coming in tire story of Billy the bear. a steady stream from the kitchen Billy, and also Brownie, were stove to the back door where Billy until 1i723 caged in the Yosemite was waiting After• exhausting the zoo At that time the superinten supplies, the cooks, and even the dens of the park decided that these bear, a final check showed that two bears weighing about 800 Billy had consumed seventy-two pounds each were costing the gl... flapjacks. At the finish he was ernment too much for food, an.] seated on the ground, groaning and that a cut in the budget of several fairly gasping for breath, probably hundred dollars a year could be indicating a feeling of both pleasure effected just by turning Billy and and pain. Brownie out to forage for them This interesting eating exhibition selves. Uncle Bob Selby, caretaker shows the remarkable ability of the of the museum and the zoo, tells black bear to adapt himself to the the story of his attempt to liberate, presence of man. In his natural or rather, get rid of them.

He says that he opened the gates but greed overcame caution Billy, of the cages and left them open however, is a mighty big and long for a week but no bears came out bear, as his weight of 800 pounds Billy, who showed a little more indicates, so that he was able to curiosity than Brownie, came to the step out with his front feet and doorway and looked out five or six stretch over the two yards of intimes, but otherwise evinced no detervening space to the meat and sire to Ieave the den which had still leave his hind feet inside his been his home for eight years. At home. the end of the week Mr. Selby go' But here was the opportunity into the den with Brownie, walked looked for, and the gate was behind her and drove her out. She slammed down on him, making seemed to be quite happy at being him jump outside. Poor. Billy imliberated and since then has been mecliately began investigating the sighted but twice. But Billy would ropes which held the gate and later not be driven out and so the fol wandered about the cage all day lowing strategy was resorted to, intrying to rind a way in. Finally volving a bit of coaxing : giving it up as hopeless, not knowOn December 22, 1923, when Billy ing that he could have torn open was down in his den getting ready the cage at will with his enormous to hibernate for. the winter months. strength, he wandered off. As if in the caretaker cut up some choice revenge he found the loaded gar pieces of kidneys, of which th•° bage wagon and proceeded to scat bear was very fond, and went rnto ter tin cans right and left over the the cage. He aroused Billy and ofground in his effort to gel some fered him the first piece of meat. thing more to eat. which he ate; then he dropped theshowing that he remembers the second piece in the middle of the kind treatment and the delicious cage, the third on the doorsill, and food he had received while in cap the fourth aboul six feet uutssid, the cage Billy, lumberingly, fol tivity, Billy still comes down every lowed this trail eating each piece in evening promptly at 6 o'clock tr until the doorway was the cookhouse to get the choice leftsuccession There he hesitated about ovens, otherwise known as the stepping out after the last piece "swell swill of the valley." Yosemite Bird Report for August, 1929 By Enid Michael The month of August in the Yogreen at the end of the month, but semite valley was warm and dry Yosemite Fall was dry and the Great billows of cumulus clouds Merced river itself was at a low often floated lazily across the sumebb. It presented the calm and remer skies but no rain fell to revive flective moods that come with age the fast browning flats on the north after a well spent life. side of the valley. The low lying Monardella, lessingla, godetia ano meadows were still refreshingly ei•logonum were among the late

blooming flowers that made pretty year the flocks have grown larger. gardens in certain warm sections of Now about the hawk : On August they valley, and along the rivet 25 while we were climbing the margin a few heleniums were still Leaning Tower our attention was freshly blooming. Also the soliattracted by a sharp yelping note dagos had begun to wave their gold remindful of the single yelping note en plumes, and these plumes were of a gull. The sound seemingly often mirrored in some placid pool came from the face of a sheer wall Fruiting shrubs such as brunus. While we were trying to locate th' rhamnus, sambucus and arctostaauthor of these notes a hawk was phylos presented a variety of foods seen to suddenly leave a crevice m upon which the birds might feast. the wall. This hawk circled about The rhamnus fruit was the most us crying wildly. It appeared to bf. popular and to the thickets of about the size of a Cooper hawk rhamnus bushes came robin, pigeon, It had a light underbody, a dart. tanager, California woodpecker head and back, and as it sailed beevening and black-headed gros low us the wings appeared to be beaks, and occasionally California broadly tipped with black. The tail purple finches. Also bear, deer. appeared to be bordered with one ground squirrels and chip :_tunk light band. During the 15 or 20 took a share of this last named minutes that we watched the bird fruit. it came to perch twice in a tree During the month sixty-two spethat hung to the wall. Finally the ties of birds were noted, which hawk flew to the crack and disap number brings the August average peared. The wall below the crack for the last nine years up to fifty was much marked by droppings. eight plus. Ornithologica.11y the and in the crack there appeared to outstanding features of the month be stuffed a litter of twigs. Soon were mountain quail nesting on the after we started down from the floor of the valley, the great numtower a second bird appeared and bees of evening grosbeaks, and the began to scold. This was apparentrecording of a new hawk in the ly the same sort of hawk only a i1ey. Not since August, 1919, had much larger bird. These hawks we seen a family of young quail on !nay not have been duck hawk :, the now of the valley The evening bat if not, what sort of hawks were grosbeaks have shown a steady inthey? The wild yelping, almost crease in numbers year after year barking, was a call that we cersince 1920 Each year there have tainly had not heard in the valley been more nesting pairs and each before..

RANGER FINDS A FLOWER GARDEN

On July 28, 1929, Ranger William snowbrush to the height of four Reymann while on a trip to plant and five feet. The air was filled fish in the lakes and streams of with rarest fragrance. I examined Yosemite Park. discovered a flower the garden more closely. and there garden of rare beauty. were three or Your dozen plants He says : "1 had turned off the Each lily stalk, three or four feet main Wawona road about one high, carried five or six waxy whirr fourth mile beyond Chinquapin. I bloseoms opened like Easter Rhea followed the old abandoned logging and they shed a delicate fragrance about two and one-half from their yellow stamen The same Near the junction of Corral stalk had also five or six unopened and Bishop creeks with the South buds. Fork I saw a garden of white waxy "In memory, this is my garden. (T it nr-i washingtonianirm) but I wish that everybody conl :i i,r owing tin n nigh chinquapin end see it."- Mrs. H. J. Taylor.

AFIELD WITH RANGER NATURALISTS

The Spotted Sandpiper Eats Ants fellow. There is no uncertain balance then, he moves forward deOn the morning of July 21, 1929, liberately and sure, and when withwe were seated in the shade with in striking distance of his prospecour backs again the trunk of the tive victim he leans slowly forward ' cottonwood that stands on the He leans far forward with his neck bank of the Merced near the Rover apparently stretched to the limit, pool. While we were resting here but when sure of his kill he strikes a spotted sandpiper winged low like a flash and it is then seen across the surface of the pool and that he has still more stretch in alighted on the sandspit where his neck. The sandpiper may steal grow a clump of willows. He upon his prey and assume his killer tripped teetering over the sands, attitude only to have his anticipausing now and then to spear a pated tit-bit fly before he strikes. fly as he came forward. When but once the trigger is pulled and

he reached the trunk of e leaning the sandpiper head snaps forward willow he left the beach, climbed it is just another fatal moment. onto the leaning trunk, and began just another departed fly.—Enid to pace leisurely back and forth Michael. Every few seconds he would pause., lean deliberately forward, and then make a quick jab with his long bill. Somehow this movement was FAMOUS TREE DYING remindful of a rubber band deliberately stretched and then slidSentinel Dome is capped by a denly allowed to snap—in other wonder tree. Rooted in almost solid words, like popping flies with an granite at an altitude of 8117 feet. elastic. Soon we realized what was the trunk making three complete taking place. The sandpiper had turns, its top bent almost at right turned ant-eater and was enjoyangles, it is easily one of the most ing a feast. He had come upon striking individual of all trees. the traffic lane of a hard-working Countless gales have spent thei r colony of ants and he was making fury in the branches of this old the best of the -',rrr'r"unity The Jeffrey pine; the snows of many ants were moving in both direrwinters have bent its head A vetLions and the sandpiper had intereran of many struggles, battlecepted their• line of travel. He scarred but unyielding, bowed with paced hack and forth along the adversities, but still courageous. it trunk line confining his activities grips and fascinates one as if by a to a limited stretch of perhaps magic spell. Well might it say. four feet When the line of march- "Twisted of form, ing ants had been cleared from Bowed of head; this space he would wait a moment Only God knows for other marching ants to move The life I've led." in and then again he would conIt is the mecca for the journeys tinue the gentle pastime of spear of multitudes of tourists who visit ing a breakfast. Glacier Point, then walk or drive We watched the sandpiper for an to Sentinel Dome, one mile distant hour• and during most of this time They worship at its feet, or climb he was busily engaged, however, he into its spreading arms to have did at times pause to preen his their pictures taken. Its glory is net feathers or to stretch his wide transient, but revivified, relived in wings. the heart and mind during periods The spotted sandpiper has a of meditation. And yet it is badly rather awkward gait; a swinging, in need of the aid of friends, teetering stride as though of unWhat the elements have not been certain balance but when he is able to accomplish, its thoughtless stalking flies til reng the margin of friends and natural agents of decay ne treem he s a most fascinating aredoing Admirers by scores have

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cut their worthless initials into its Powell, a student in the Yosemit life blood. Some have chopped steps School of Field Natural History, o into its trunk the better to ascend the east side of Parson's Pea and extend their inane gaze Thouabove Ireland Lake, on August sands have packed the meager soil During the same week a Sierr at its feet until pavement-like, it Club party discovered a skull of contains no nourishment. Unless it young female mountain sheep o receives immediate aid it will bethe Lyell Glacier, where it has prof come but a memory. ably been held in cold storage fe Will no friend come to its aid? many a long year Though they Are we so thoughtless that we will have been occasional rumors of th do nothing to save this famous presence of mountain sheep in Yc tree? Tree surgeons are needed to cemite National Park yet none c arrest the decay. Rich humus these rumors have been verified l should be furnished to supply it is probable that remnants of skull nourishment in its sickness A fence and horns will continue to be foun, should be constructed to keep its around the high peaks, but it friends from trampling it to death, doubtfui whether any living wit A sign should warn the unthinking sheep remain in the park. The near not to mutilate its beauty. It needs est band of wild mountain sheep help now. Delay will mean its to be found in the Mt. Whitney re death. Let us preserve this, one of gion –H.C. Bryant. the most distinctive, most admired and most valuable trees in the entire park.- -C. H O'Neal. Lincoln Sparrow Nest On the morning of July 20, 1929.

I7OUNTAIN SHEEP SKULL

the nest of a pair• of Lincoln sparFOUND ON PARSONS' PEAK rows was discovered. In the nest were four young birds fairly well Mountain sheep once ranged feathered and perhaps half grown throughout all the mountainous reThe nest was located in a marshy gions of California In John Muir's meadow on the Pohono trail at an day they were abundant in Yosemelevation of approximately 7000 ite National Park. In the late 70's feet. Now the remarkable thing they began to disappear as a result about the nest was its situation of over-hunting by sheep herders, It was nestled among a thin stand who preferred the wild sheep to the of sedges and actually resting in domesticated ones when it came to two inches of water. It appeared a food supply. In the past six years to be floating on the water, but a ni.:mher of mountain sheep skulls was really anchored to the sedges have been discovered around the with thin strands of plant fiber higher peaks, reminding us of the It was a rather firm nest built of former abundance of this game grasses and plant fibers and was mammal, Members of the Sierra apparently waterproof. It was Cluh party found a specimen on Mt hard to believe that the eggs could Ehrnbeck several years ago. A have been kept dry through th e ranger discovered one on White period of incubation, but here was Mountain. Park Naturalist Russell the nest filled with half-grown ecured one from in back of Koip young. The birds were able to apGlacier Two years ago a man proach the nest without exfound one on the south slope of themselves to view They had ap Parson's Peak, near Boothe Lake. Preach lanes through the s' This year the Museum has received which quite concealed their MO,. two skulls A fine large male skull rents when going to or from the r:ith the horny covering still intact nest.—Enid Michael. ell one side was found by Walter

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