18 P.D. 123 



crops, A report of the Crop Reporting Service appears in another column. 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College. Our relations with the Massachu- 

 setts Agricultural College, the Extension Service, and the Experiment 

 Station have been cordial. During the past year we have had numerous 

 opportunities to work with the Department of Agricultural Economics 

 and with many of the County Agents. 



REPORT OF THE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY FOR 

 THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 1, 1926 



This division functions under an Act that calls for collection and dis- 

 semination of the information regarding birds, their habits, their dis- 

 tribution, their food and their economic value to the people of the Com- 

 monwealth. Under the law also the division is authorized to give advice 

 to the people and the legislature regarding the protection of useful birds. 

 A full report of the work of the division for the year would cover all these 

 activities. 



Information 



No bulletins such as were issued in former years are being published 

 now. Therefore, information has been disseminated by articles in the 

 newspapers, by radio, by lectures to various organizations, and by the 

 regular mimeographed monthly bulletin entitled "Items of Interest", 

 which is sent to about 600 accredited observers of the division on the 

 first day of each month. This bulletin has been continued throughout 

 the year. As most of the former printed bulletins of the division are 

 out of print, those of the United States Department of Agriculture have 

 been utilized in disseminating information to questioners. 



The second volume of the "Birds of Massachusetts and Other New 

 England States" has been written, and the color plates have been made 

 during the year. The half-tone plates and cuts are not yet finished. The 

 final copy of the manuscript of the volume is under way. 



Co-operation 



The division has co-operated during the year with the Federation of 

 the Bird Clubs of New England, the Massachusetts Audbon Society and 

 the Masachusetts Fish and Game Protective Association and also with 

 the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington in securing measures and 

 reservations for the protection of birds. New reservations for bird pro- 

 tection have been established in Massachusetts, and the Director has 

 served as usual as a member of the Advisory Board which revises the 

 Federal regulations for the protection of migratory birds which are 

 finally approved by the Secretary of Agriculture at Washington and pro- 

 mulgated by the President of the United States. The revision of these 

 regulations in the past few years has resulted in greater protection for 

 migratory birds throughout the United States and Canada, as under the 

 treaty with the Imperial Government of Great Britain, Canada joins the 

 United States in regulations similar to ours. 



Heath Hen 



The annual inspection to determine the status of the Heath Hen, now 

 nearly extinct, indicated that there might be nearly fifty birds still alive. 

 An unusual autumnal flight of Goshawks, however, probably has resulted 

 in a considerable decrease in the numbers of these grouse. 



