59 



and Rotifera of the Illinois River and adjacent lakes; a series 

 of articles on the plankton, resulting from our biological station 

 work; a paper on the leeches of Illinois; articles on the species, 

 local distribution, and ecological relations of Illinois fishes ; and 

 an article on the biology of the sand areas of Illinois. 



The character and object of the final reports of the survey 

 are best illustrated by the volume on the fishes of the state, 

 now just out of press. I have two additional volumes of this 

 series in early prospect — one a long-delayed treatment of the 

 more important birds of the state from an ecological and eco- 

 nomic standpoint, intended to bring together in a single volume 

 the essential substance of our statistical and economic work and 

 that of the United States Biological Survey on the more abun- 

 dant and significant species of Illinois birds ; and another on the 

 entomology of the state, which shall similarly summarize the 

 more prominent and important results of economic work in this 

 field, treated, however, in a broad way, from the standpoint of 

 the modern ecologist. 



Operations now actually in progress include continuous work 

 on Illinois insects, on which several bulletin papers are in 

 course of preparation by assistants of the survey ; a study of 

 the mammals of the state, particularly those of Champaign 

 county, which subject is being worked out in full local and 

 ecological detail ; a survey of the forest resources of the state, 

 begim during the past summer under a cooperative arrange- 

 ment with the United States Forest Service ; and a census 

 of the birds of the state, upon which two papers have already 

 been published, and the complete data for which are now being 

 organized by statistical methods. 



I am hoping next to develop our work by a further investi- 

 gation of our natural resources, with reference to their present 

 condition and management, and to measures for their conser- 

 vation and improvement. I hope to finish the forest survey, 

 already begun, to complete and extend our statistical work on 

 the birds of the state, and to continue and complete our study 

 of our aquatic resources, particularly those contained in the 

 Illinois and the Mississippi rivers and the waters most closely 



