PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 33 



done for insects, birds, and other animals. The scattered publications 

 on these subjects should be verified and collected into usable form. 

 The breeding habits and migrations of animals should be well studied 

 that proper laws may be enacted for their protection. Our waters should 

 be studied with a view to making them productive, and our waste lands 

 with a view to clothing them with forests. Michigan with her unusually 

 large areas of water and non-agricultural land will certainly be remiss 

 in her duty if she does not speedily take increased measures to propagate 

 and preserve her forests, game, and fish. The inland lakes of Michigan 

 have been almost neglected as sources of wealth; and yet the experience 

 of European countries proves that a small lake may be made more valu- 

 able with its crop of fish than an equal area of farm land. The recent 

 publications of the Illinois ^tate Laboratory' of Natural History indicate 

 very clearly that a proper cultivation of bodies of water will increase 

 the fish supply. Our State ought certainly to turn her attention to a 

 study of the fish and fish food of the inland lakes and streams. 



The last special problem which I will mention is the study of the plant 

 and animal life in the streams and lakes from Avhich is taken the water 

 supply of cities. But I will not dwell on this and other special problems, 

 for I do not wish to distract the attention from my main proposition, 

 which is, that the natural history surve}- should be ecological and geog- 

 raphical. 



MEANS OF CONDUCTING SUCH A SURVEY. 



If we are to plan an ecological survey we must provide not only for 

 the means of studying our plants and animals in their habitats, but we 

 should include the temperature, precipitation, insolation, the soil, and, 

 if possible, the topography and glacial geology. The first three of these 

 factors, the temperature, precipitation, and insolation, can be obtained 

 from data already existing. The U. S. bureaus in cooperation with the 

 Michigan Geological Survey are slowly surveying the soils and topo- 

 graphy of the State, and have the materials at hand for mapping the 

 glacial geology. The topographic survey, for which the State made the 

 small appropriation of 1500 annually has already produced a map cov- 

 ering an area of about 25 miles by 35 miles with Ann Arbor as the center, 

 and is now being extended over another area in Wayne County. It is 

 probable that within twelve months this cooperative survey by the U. S. 

 and State Geologists will publish the Ann Arbor Folio, which will con- 

 tain maps showing contour lines, soils, and glacial formations. In the 

 plotting of soils, the Bureau of Soils of the general Government has 

 already produced a map of Allegan County, and is now at work on Oak- 

 land County. Besides this work, the State Geologist has published a 

 topographical map of Kent Cotinty. It is the intention of the general 

 Government, if a part of the expense is borne by the State, to include 

 the whole State in the topographic and soils survey. It would seem the 

 part of wisdom in beginning an ecological natural history survey to fol- 

 low the course already covered by the topographic and soils survey. 

 Should the natural history survey be established, it is probable that 

 cooperation could be arranged by which the topographic and soils surveys 

 would cover the same area preparatory to the natural history survey. 



There seems to be one objection to spending all the effort of a survey 

 in a territorially progressive exploration. There may be regions or prob- 

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