PREFACE. 
The manuscript and plates for a final report upon the mam- 
mals of Minnesota were turned over to the Survey in 1885, with 
the expectation that the work would be speedily issued as part 
of a quarto volume of the series of final reports. Circum- 
stances with which the writer is unacquainted have delayed the 
publication over six years and in the meantime much work has 
been done in all branches of biology, and the state has been 
carefully surveyed by the United States agents. Much of 
whatever may have had any value as an original contribution 
to science has lapsed and much of the remainder has been 
rendered unnecessary by recent publication. This is especially 
true of bibliographical material. When, however, the publica- 
tion was finally ordered and no opportunity was afforded for 
further field work, it seemed best to adapt the manuscript for 
the purpose by the omission of much which could not be edited 
satisfactorily under the circumstances, and, separating the 
more general from the technical portions, to issue these in the 
form of two bulletins, uniform with the series already estab- 
lished by the Survey. : 
The present installment, therefore, contains the descriptive 
and popular portion, with such illustrations as may serve to 
assist the amateur. The second part will be devoted to the 
materials collected upon the anatomy, especially the myology 
and osteology of the mammals of Minnesota. 
July, 1891. C. L. HERRICK, 
Univ. of Cincinnati. 
