DIVISION OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 215 



bia" and the "Natural history of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska," 

 both by Wilfred II. Osgood. Bulletin No. 15, "The relation of spar- 

 rows to agriculture," by Sylvester D. Judd, embodies the results of 

 long-continued observation and study of the native sparrows, the 

 progress of which has been noted in previous reports. Bulletin No. 

 16, "Digest of game laws for 1901," by T. S. Palmer and II. W. Olds, 

 is a compilation of laws relating to game protection similar to Bulletin 

 No. 14 published last year, but somewhat broader in scope than that 

 puljlication. The Yearbook articles are " The ijrairie dog of the Great 

 Plains region," by C. Hart Merriam, and "Two vanishing game birds " 

 (the woodcock and the wood duck), by A. K. Fisher. The circulars 

 were as follows: No. 34, "Laws for the protection of birds and game 

 in the District of Columbia;" No. 35, "Directory of State officials and 

 organizations concerned with the protection of birds and game, 1902;" 

 No. 36, "Importation of reptiles into Hawaii;" No. 37, "Regulations 

 for the importation of eggs of game birds for propagation." Bulletin 

 12, a revised edition of which was published, was a treatise on "Leg- 

 islation for the protection of birds," by T. S. Palmer. Three reprints 

 were required of Farmers' Bulletin No. 54, " Some common birds in 

 their relation to agriculture," by F. E. L. Beal, making a total of 

 205,000 copies issued since 1896, the date of the original publication. 

 One reprint was necessary of each of the following publications: Bul- 

 letin 13, "Bobolinks, blackbirds, and grackles," by F. E. L. Beal; 

 Circular 29, "Protection and importation of birds under act of Con- 

 gress approved May 25, 1900," and Circular 32, "Directions for the 

 destruction of prairie dogs" (revised edition). 



ROUTINE WORK. 



Routine work has increased with the growth of the Division, and 

 demands a greater proportion of attention from the office force as time 

 progresses. It consists of correspondence, preparation of reports and 

 bulletins for publication, identification of sj)ecimens, care of collec- 

 tions, arrangement and tabulation of field reports, sorting and filing 

 of published matter valuable for reference, attention to the needs of 

 the field naturalists, issue of permits for the introduction of foreign 

 mammals and birds, and cooperation in enforcing the various pro- 

 visions of the act of Congress of May 25, 1900. 



The letters received during the year numbered about 5,300. Manj^ 

 of these were accompanied by schedules or reports, and others con- 

 tained notes of interest and value. During the same period 3,200 

 letters were written and 700 blank migration and other schedules 

 were distributed to observers. 



The large collection of photographic negatives made by members of 

 the Biological Survey while in the field now numbers about 4,500, and 

 is of constantly increasing value for purposes of study and illustration. 



OUTLINE OF WORK FOR THE YEAR 1903. 

 FIELD WORK. 



Field work for the current year in California will include a con- 

 tinuation of the biological survey of the Sierra Nevada, particularly 

 of the western slopes and foothills, and a biological reconnoissance of 

 the Santa Lucia Mountains and other coast ranges of the middle 

 western part of the State. Li Texas, work will be continued in 



