REPORT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Biological, Survey, 



Washington^ D. C, August 29, 1918. 



Sir : I have the honor to submit herewith a report on the work of 

 the Bureau of Biological Survey for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1918. 



Kespectfully, 



E. W. Nelson, 

 CJuef of Bwreau, 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture, 



WORK OF THE BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



The work of the Bureau of Biological Survey is conducted along 

 five principal lines: (1) Investigations of the food habits of North 

 American birds and mammals in relation to agriculture, in charge 

 of Dr. A. K. Fisher; (2) biological investigations with special ref- 

 erence to the geographical distribution of native animals and plants, 

 in charge of E. W. Nelson; (3) supervision of national mammal and 

 bird reservations, in charge of G. W. Field; (4) enforcement of the 

 Lacey Act regulating the importation of birds and the interstate 

 shipment of game, in charge of W. F. Bancroft; (5) administration 

 of the Federal migratory bird law, in charge of George A. Lawyer. 



ECONOMIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



The direct relation of the field work of this bureau to the increased 

 production and conservation of food, through the destruction of 

 predatory animals and injurious rodents, has been thoroughly dem- 

 onstrated during the year. In response to war conditions the 

 general plans of noxious-animal control were promptly modified in 

 order to obtain the most direct results in reducing losses of live stock 

 due to predatory animals, and in protecting cereal and other crops 

 from their rodent enemies, and stored food supplies and other prop- 

 erty from contamination and destruction by house rats. During the 

 year the increasing number of requests received by the bureau for 

 cooperation in new areas and for an extension of operations in ter- 

 ritory where control campaigns are already in progress showed the 

 rapid growth of public appreciation of this work. 



The need for controlling noxious mammals is evident in view of 

 the fact that predatory animals destroy annually more than $20,- 

 000,000 worth of live stock, mainl}- on the western ranges; noxious 



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