BUREAU OF THE BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 93 



1927. The personnel of the Forest, Lighthouse, and Coast 

 Guard services were enlisted in the work through their re- 

 spective chiefs in Washington, as were numerous private 

 individuals located in various parts of the United States. 



The results were not entirely satisfactory because, as might 

 be expected, the estimates of the amateur investigators varied 

 greatly. Nevertheless in the course of two or three years, 

 the Division was able to reach the conclusion that waterfowl 

 as a whole were in a period of serious decline. As a result, 

 the open season on certain species found most seriously 

 affected was shortened to one month in I93I. 26 



The distribution studies are still being carried on but the 

 estimates are being made entirely by Survey men. Their 

 reports showed that there was some improvement in the 

 waterfowl situation in 1932 due to the short season of the 

 previous year, consequently it was lengthened to two 

 months. The last two years (1933-34) with drought con- 

 ditions existing in wide areas in the Middle West have again 

 played havoc with the waterfowl and at the present time the 

 situation is a very serious one. 27 . 



The Mammal Section is engaged chiefly in investigations 

 regarding life habits of elk and other big game at the Jack- 

 son, Wyoming field station and in identifying and classi- 

 fying specimens at the Museum of Natural History in 

 Washington, D. C. 



A report summarizing six years of research on elk was 

 prepared and issued by the Survey in 1933. The impor- 

 tance that life histories have as a basic study cannot be 

 overemphasized. It can be readily seen that the only way 

 of determining whether a certain species of wild life is 

 beneficial or harmful to mankind is through a study of its 

 life history. 



26 Report of the Chief, Biological Survey (1933), p. I. 



27 Report of the Chief, Biological Survey (1933), p. 2. 



