280 Recent Literature. |_ April 



much wider circle than those who pursue birds with dogs and guns. — 

 J. A. A. 



Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey for 1910. 1 — 



The report of the Chief of the Biological Survey, Mr. H. W. Henshaw, on 

 the work of the Survey contains the usual summary of its activities for the 

 fiscal year ended June 30, 1910. As is well known to readers of 'The Auk,' 

 the resignation of Dr. C. Hart Merriam, for so many years the efficient 

 director of this important Bureau, became effective June 1, 1910, and the 

 Assistant Chief, Mr. H. W. Henshaw was promoted to the vacancy, with 

 Dr. T. S. Palmer as Assistant Chief, Dr. Merriam still retaining an official 

 connection with the Survey under the title of Consulting Biologist. The 

 present report therefore deals mainly with the period preceding the change 

 in administration. 



In a document so condensed, and dealing with so many subjects of 

 general interest, reference can here be made only to those more especially 

 relating to ornithology. Investigations of the economic relations of birds 

 and mammals to agriculture, of the geographic distribution of animals and 

 plants with reference to the determination of the life and crop belts of the 

 country, the supervision of matters relating to game preservation and 

 protection, and the importation of foreign birds and animals, are the pre- 

 scribed functions of the Survey under acts of Congress. Field work was 

 conducted during the year in twelve different States, in continuation of 

 that of previous years. The biological survey of Colorado and New Mexico 

 is now practically completed and the final reports thereon are nearly ready 

 for publication. It is stated that satisfactory progress has been made in 

 digesting and putting into shape for easy reference the accumulated mass 

 of information on mammals and birds, including a great amount of data 

 on the migration and distribution of North American birds. Rapid ad- 

 vance has also been made in mapping the distribution of both birds and 

 mammals. A revised edition of a general zone map of the United States 

 is also in preparation. 



Under the head of National Bird Reservations, which number 51, 

 divided into six districts, it is said: "Experiments in marking birds with 

 bands to determine the course of migration were initiated on the Stump 

 Lake (N. Dak.) and Klamath Lake (Oreg.) reservations, and investigations 

 to determine the homing instinct and the power of birds to find their way 

 back to the breeding grounds, begun by Prof. J. B. Watson in 1907 on 

 the Tortugas (Fla.) reservation, under the direction of the Carnegie Insti- 

 tution, were continued in the spring of 1910." 



Game protection, illegal traffic in game, cooperation in game protection 

 with State authorities, the supervision of the importation of foreign birds 

 and animals, investigation of the food habits of ducks, the relation of birds 



1 Reprinted from Annual Reports of the Department of Agriculture, 1910. 

 8vo, pp. 19. "Washington, Government Printing Office, 1910. 



