STUDIES OF THE ANIMAL LIFE OF NORTH CARO- 

 LINA WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR A 

 BIOLOGICAL SURVEY* 



FRANKLIN SHERMAN^ JK. 



When it became known to me that the North Carolina Acad- 

 emy of Science, at its last meeting (which I did not attend) had 

 made the mistake of thrusting upon me the presidential honors 

 for this session, — one of the first questions that arose in my 

 mind was as to the topic, subject-matter and method of presenta- 

 tion of the annual address. I have had special misgivings upon 

 this subject because of the fact that my immediate predecessor, 

 Mr. C. S. Brimley, has tastes and views so similar to my own, 

 that I feared that the thoughts which I might present would 

 bear almost too close a resemblance to his. It is already known 

 to some of you that Mr. Brimley and myself have been for some 

 years accumulating records, data, and specimens bearing upon 

 the occurrence and distribution of the native animals of the 

 state. At our meeting in Greensboro in 1908 we presented a 

 joint paper on the Life Zones of the state. Both of us have (both 

 at these meetings and in technical journals) presented lists and 

 data bearing on this topic, and Mr. Brimley's Presidential Ad- 

 dress a year ago upon the subject of " Zoo-geography " laid 

 further emphasis upon this subject. 



In the hope that through the activities of the Academy, the 

 individuals thereof, and the institutions represented in its mem- 

 bership, we may be able to place these and related studies on a 

 better footing, and in the further hope that the topic may carry 

 some measure of interest to our visitors on this occasion, I now 

 venture to open the subject of this address. 



When any person, scientist or laj^man, has his interest 

 aroused by any new, strange or interesting plant or animal, 

 among the first and most natural questions are these : What is 

 its name? Does it normally live and thrive in this locality? 

 Where else does it occur ? At what seasons are its activities evi- 



* Presidential Address before the North Carolina Academy of Science, Durham, N. C, 

 May 1, 1914. 



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