BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 561 



to secure a general view of the game field. In addition, special in- 

 vestigations were conducted at various ducking centers. 



Data were collected concerning the introduction of the Hungarian 

 partridge into the United States, and the material secured formed the 

 basis of an article in the Yearbook for 1909. 



No infomiation has been received showing the existence of the 

 quail disease that appeared wnth such disastrous results a few years 

 ago. The quail raised in 1909 on the state game farm at Sutton, 

 Mass., were nearly a total loss through a malady which, in the opinion 

 of those in charge of the farm, resembled the quail disease ; but as no 

 post-mortem examinations were made, it is impossible to state defi- 

 nitely whether this was or was not the disease in question. 



Index of game legislation. — A practically complete index has been 

 made of all the game laws of the United States passed during the last 

 decade. Indexes have also been made of the laws of every State west 

 of the Mississippi River and of eight States in the East, viz, Ala- 

 bama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, 

 and Wisconsin. 



Game protection in 1909. — The usual resume of game protection 

 was published as a separate circular (Xo. 73). As heretofore, special 

 attention was given to the condition of game, a feature that should be 

 made still fuller and more serviceable. 



Directory of game officials. — The names and addresses of state 

 game officials and organizations and Audubon societies were pub- 

 lished in the form of a circular, as usual. This directory is serviceable 

 to a larije number who desire to communicate with officers of state or 

 private organizations. 



Pheasant raising. — The material gathered in connection with the 

 investigation of the pheasant industry in the United States was pub- 

 lished as Farmers' Bulletin No. 390. 



Private game preserves. — The data collected concerning private 

 game preserves in the United States formed the basis of a preliminary 

 report issued as Circular No. 72. 



Fur-bearing animals. — The preparation of a compilation of laws 

 relating to fur-bearing animals has been nearly completed. 



Hunting accidents. — As usual, details were secured of the fatal 

 hunting accidents occurring during the year, which were uncom- 

 monly frequent, being about 50 per cent more numerous than last 

 year. 



Hunting-license statistics. — Data were obtained from game offi- 

 cials of the United States and Canada showing the receipts from 

 hunting licenses during the years 1907 and 1908. The growth in 

 popularity of this means of raising revenue for proper enforcement 

 of the game law^s has been marked, and the funds at the disposal of 

 game officials are sometimes very large, especially in California, 

 Illinois, New York, and Wisconsin, where they exceed $100,000 a year. 



cooperative work. 



In conformity with its regular policy the office has cooperated 

 freely with state game officials and organizations. During the year 

 special assistance was given in California, Illinois, Indiana, Ken- 

 tucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Dakota, 



73477°— .\GR 1910 36 



