100 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



IJEPOKT OF THE DEPAIITMEA'T OF ZOOLOGY AND 



PHYSIOLOGY. 



To the President : 



Sir: I liave the honor to submit the following report of the Department 

 of Zoology and Physiology for the year ending June 30, 1920. 



Changes in the curriculum lessened somewhat the teaching work of 

 the department during the year and this, together with the somewhat 

 smaller attendance due to the recent war conditions made the year an 

 abnormal one. The principal change in the teaching force was the loss 

 of Assistant Professor Frederick A. Burt, Avho resigned on December 

 31, 1919, in order to accept a similar position in the Agricultural Col- 

 lege of Mississippi. Mr. Burt came to us as an instructor in September, 

 1909, and was made Assistant Professor of Geology in June, 1914. It 

 is a pleasure to bear witness to his long and faithful service and his 

 sterling worth as a teacher and associate. The department has never 

 had a more conscientious and indefatigable worker and his withdrawal 

 is a distinct loss to the dejjartment and the College. Fortunately Mr. 

 Stanard G. Bergquist, who had been absent on leave for two years in 

 government service with the 20th Engineers in France, returned to us 

 in September and was able to carry on the work wliich I'rofessor Burt 

 left, so that it has not been necessary thus far to employ another man 

 for the work in geology. Thi« work, however, is increasing yearh* in 

 importance and eventually another instructor will have to be added. 



The dropping of the sophomore zoology in the Home Economics course 

 and the transfer of the })hysiology in this course from the freshman to 

 the junior year has unbalanced the teaching work temporarily and in my 

 opinion is not likely to result in any permanent benefit to either depart- 

 ment. Some change in curriculum of course is unavoidable but changes 

 involving so many students and so much teaching time are unfortunate 

 to say the least. 



In addition to the teaching work of the department two publications 

 of importance have been undertaken, one being a Key to the Vertebrate 

 Animals (except birds) of the State, which I'rofessor Conger has pre- 

 pared for the use of our own classes and for those of our students (and 

 others interested) who are to become teachers in the public schools of 

 the State. This bulletin is now in type and will be ready for distribu- 

 tion before the end of July. It forms a i)amphlet of seventy-five pages, 

 is without illustrations, but, as its title implies, is a laboratory guide 

 which will enable any capable student or intelligent school boy to identi- 

 fy fishes, reptiles, amphibians or mammals which he may have in liand, 

 dead or alive. It Avill be sold to students and others practically at cost 

 and is published jointly by the Zoological do])artment and the Depart- 

 ment of Agricultural Educatiou. For several years Professor Conger 

 has been collecting material for a descriptive bulletin on the Miininiiils 

 of the Slate Avith i);irli<'nl;ir reference to the ftir-bearing species and 

 f>thers which are of ininke<| cccKioniic inipf>rt;ince. Bnt for the scarcity 

 of printing paper this bulletin doubtless would have been in the printer's 



