38 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



people will advance in those paths which will lead to moral and in- 

 tellectual and prosperous citizenship. 



DIVISION^ OF ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY. 



The investigation of the economic relations of birds was begun July 

 1, 1885, as a branch of the Division of Entomolo^jy. On the 1st of 

 July, 1886, pursuant to an act of the Forty-ninth Congress, the scope 

 of the work was enlarged, and it was made an independent division, 

 "^for the promotion of economic ornithology and mammalogy, an in- 

 vestigation of the food habits, distribution, and migrations of jSTorth 

 American birds and mammals in relation to agriculture, horticulture, 

 and forestry." 



The work of the division consists in the collection of facts relating 

 to the above subjects, and in the preparation for distribution among 

 farmers and others of special reports and bulletins upon birds and 

 mammals which affect the interests of the farmer, and also upon the 

 migration and distribution of ISTorth American species. In this way 

 it is hoped to correct the present widespread ignorance concerning 

 injurious and beneficial effects of our common birds and mammals, 

 and to prevent the wholesale destruction of useful species now go- 

 ing on. 



At the outset it was seen that two birds pre-eminently claimed the 

 immediate attention of the division. The so-called English sparrow 

 {Passer domesticus), and the bobolink, or rice-bird {Dolichonyx ory- 

 zivorus), by their numerical abundance, the extent of the damages 

 they were said to cause at certain times of the year, and the wide- 

 spread difference of opinion in regard to their economic status as a 

 whole, demanded searching and systematic investigation; hence, they 

 have been made subjects of special research. 



THE ENGLISH SPAEROW {Passer domesticus.) 



Questions relating to the English sparrow were contained in the 

 first circular on Economic Ornithology, issued by the Department (in 

 July, 1885). Subsequently these questions were amplified, and dur- 

 ing the current year a special circular and schedule were prepared, 

 upwards of 5,000 copies of which have been distributed. To date re- 

 plies have been received from about 2,500 persons. They contain 

 a vast amount of valuable information, which is now being collated 

 for publication. In order to be able in future years to determine 

 the rate of spread of the sparrow over regions which it does not 

 now occupy, the Department has undertaken to ascertain, with as 

 much precision as possible, the exact limits of its distribution at 

 the present time, and hopes to show the same by means of a colored 

 map in its forthcoming bulletin on the sparrow question. In addi- 

 tion to the material collected by the Department of Agriculture, the 

 American Ornithologists' Union has turned over to the division the 



