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. 



