REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND MAMMALOGIST. 229 



almost certain to bo followed by a correspondingly enormous increase 

 in the numbers of mice and insects formerly held in check by tiiem, 

 and it will take many years to restore the balance thus blindly 

 destroyed through ignorance of the economic relations of our com- 

 mon birds and mammals. 



A knowledge of the food-habits of our common birds and mammals 

 would benefit every intelligent farmer to the extent of many dollars 

 each year, and occasionally would save him the loss of an entire crop. 

 It would save certain States many thousands of dollars which they 

 now throw away in bounties, and would add millions of dollars to the 

 proceeds derived from our agricultural industries. 



Hence it becomes the duty of the division to attempt to educate 

 the farming classes in the truths of economic ornithology and mam- 

 malogy. 



Among the many subjects now demanding the attention of the 

 division are: The depredations of Ricebirds in the South; the status 

 of the so-called English Sparrow in America; the true status of the 

 various birds of prey in relation to agriculture; the depredations of 

 Blackbirds in the grain-growing districts of the Northwest; the de- 

 struction of small fruits by birds; the depredations of small mam- 

 mals, particularly in the West; and the true status of the several spe- 

 cies of mammals which prey upon poultry. 



PROGRESS OF THE WORK. 



Early in July, 1885, a circular was prepared, explaining the objects 

 of the inquiry and asking for information in rej^ly to a number of 

 questions concerning the food-habits of several of our well-known 

 birds. At the same time a collection of the crops, gizzards, and stom- 

 achs of birds was begun, for it was clear that in a comprehensive in- 

 vestigation of this kind the study of a bird's habits in the field must 

 be supplemented by a critical examination of its stomach-contents in 

 the laboratory. In this undertaking the Department has been aided 

 by ornithologists throughout the country, many of whom have made 

 large and valuable contributions, thus doubly utilizing birds killed 

 for strictly scientific purposes. 



In collecting the facts necessary to a clear conception of the prac- 

 tical side of the question a very large amount of information of great 

 scientific value is incidentally brought together. The migration ob- 

 servers of the American Ornithologists' Union have accumulated a 

 vast quantity of original material, the use of which has been freely 

 accorded the division of economic ornithology. Moreover, a large 

 proportion of the same observers continue to collect data and make 

 reports, which, through the courtesy of the Union, are now sent di- 

 rect to the Dei^artment. But the study of migration and distribution 

 has been subordinated to the study of the more practical phases of the 

 inquiry, for it is the bearing of these investigations upon the avoca- 

 tions of the farmer and fruit-grower that chiefly concerns the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. 



Therefore, in order to obta,in a large array of facts, and in some 

 cases the opinions of persons interested as well, I prepared the follow- 

 ing circulars, which, with the exception of the one addressed to rice- 

 growers, were sent to the secretaries of the various agricultural and 

 horticultural societies throughout the country, to the agricultural 

 press, and to a large number of farmers and ornithologists. The cir- 

 cular to rice-growers was sent to the addresses of as many rice-plant- 



