440 ANNUAL, REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



As during previous years, the work of the Division of Biological 

 Investigations has been conducted with the view of furnishing the 

 basic scientific information needed for the proper administration 

 of the various duties intrusted to the bureau — the enforcement of 

 tlie migratory-bird treaty act and the Lacey Act, the management 

 of big game and bird refuges, the numerous activities bearing on the 

 conservation of game birds and mammals, and all the varied rela- 

 tions of birds and mammals to agriculture, forestry, and animal 

 husbandry. Owing to the limitation of funds the biological surveys 

 of States, as well as other field activities, have been curtailed. Prog- 

 ress has been made in adding to the files of information, mainly in 

 the form of card indexes, on the distribution, abundance, and habits 

 of North Americari mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. These 

 files, being an accumulation dating from the establishment of the 

 bureau many years ago, now contain by far the largest mass of 

 data on wild life in readily accessible form in existence. They 

 comprise notes gathered from all available sources, including the 

 field notes of the bureau staff, published accounts in books and 

 periodicals, manuscripts from volunteer observers and friends of 

 the bureau, and notes gleaned from correspondence and other sources. 

 The value of the card catalogues is constantly increasing ; they 

 are in daily use to furnish information desired by other govern- 

 ment departments, officials of State and municipal organizations, 

 museums and other educational institutions, and individuals through- 

 out the United States and in many foreign countries. 



BIOLOGICAL SURVEYS OF STATES. 



Actual field work in connection with State surveys was confined 

 to Wisconsin, Arizona, and Florida. In Wisconsin a field party 

 worked during August and September in several widely separated 

 sections, visiting a number of localities the fauna of which still 

 needed investigation. In October an assistant visited the north- 

 western part of Arizona, completing certain field work required in 

 that section of the State. Through the generosity of a naturalist 

 friend of the bureau, who paid the expenses of an investigator, it 

 was possible to make a survej^ of the bird and mammal life of a 

 considerable area in central Florida during March, April, and May, 

 thus adding materially to our knowledge of the distribution and 

 breeding habits of the birds of that region. Several rare and in- 

 teresting species were studied in the field and valuable original data 

 obtained. 



Progress was made also in the preparation of reports on the 

 fauna of States. A report on the mammals of Wyoming was com- 

 pleted and one on the mammals of Oregon is partly completed. Re- 

 ports on the birds and mammals of the State of Washington and 

 of the birds of Florida are well advanced. Other reports already 

 completed but awaiting publication include annotated lists of the 

 mammals of New Mexico and North Dakota and of the birds of 

 New Mexico and Texas. 



