REPOET OF THE CHIEF OF THE DIVISION OF BIOLOGICAL 



SURVEY. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Division of Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C, October 9, 1902. 



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

 the Biological Survey for the fiscal year ending- June 30, 1902, with 

 outline of work for 1903, and recommendations for 1904. 

 Respectfully, 



C. Hart Merriam, Chief. 

 Hon. Jajvies Wilson, Secretary. 



wore: of the year. 



As heretofore, the work of the Division has been conducted along 

 three lines: (1) Investigations relating to the geographic distribution 

 of animals and plants, including biological surveys and the determina- 

 tion of the life and crop belts, in charge of the chief; (2) investiga- 

 tions of the economic relations of birds to agriculture, in charge of 

 Prof. F. E. L. Beal; (3) supervision of matters relating to game pres- 

 ervation and protection and the imx^ortation of foreign birds and ani- 

 mals, in charge of Dr. T. S. Palmei'. 



field work. 



Field work in studying the geographic distribution of mammals, 

 birds, and plants, and in investigating the depredations of prairie 

 dogs, has been carried on over wide areas in California, Texas, Kansas, 

 Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana, New Mexico, and Indian Territory. 

 Extensive work also was done in Mexico and in the Canadian provinces 

 of Alberta, Athabasca, and Mackenzie. 



California has unusual claims on the Biological Survej', The diver- 

 sity and commercial value of its agricultural products — its preemi- 

 nence as a fruit-growing State, the extent of its grain fields, sugar-beet 

 lands, and stock ranges — demand the early completion of maps show- 

 ing the courses of the life zones and crop belts within its borders. 

 But the preparation of these maps is unusually difficult on account 

 of the extraordinar}' diversity of the phj'sical and climatic conditions. 

 Not only are there torrid valleys below the level of the sea, and alpine 

 summits towering to elevations of more than 14,000 feet, l)ut there 

 are also areas of excessive humidity — of frequent fogs and heavy 

 rainfall — and areas of excessive aridity — hotter and drier than the 

 Sahara, where perpetual sunshine is the rule and years sometimes 

 pass without rain. The labor of tracing the boundaries of the life 



AGR 1902 14 209 



