A(;UI( ri.TlUAI, .\I'1'IU»PRIATI()N BIIJ^ UCi. 329 



iuvrsti};nt<' <'()inf)lairits, aiui where WHrrnut«*<l, the S«»rretiirv whuos 

 tlie necessary permit for the ilestruet ion of these f)ests. 



Soiiu' of the <|U«'stioMs are e.\<«'e(liu^Iy <lilli(iill to settle, lil^ • ' ? of 

 tlie <h'stni<tioii of <;rain in the Ininerial \'aMev in son: .rn 



Cahforrna. where th«' hhi<kl)inls tiHseinnh' hv hundreds of thoiiMandK, 

 and eat the niih) niai/e and other i-ro|)s of thtit eharactiM'. J hhw one 

 fiehl of ItiO acres that tht'v had actually (deaned up •"• 'h*- owner did 

 not rut the crop. 



Mr. BicnANAN. How do you destroy those hirds f 



Doctor Nki..s()\. We have tt(»t heen ahle to find how to lUt it 

 sureessfully. 



Mr. lUcniANAN. 1 e.\pe<'t 1 havi* seen a niilhon in one drove; the 

 wlioU' coiintry hhick with thetn 



Doctor \ki..s<)\. Occa-sionally \\c can p<»i>oii these hirds on a 

 considerahU' scale, as our nnin <iid in studyin<; them tiiere. lie 

 poisoned .several thousand in one cjise. liut it Ls just good luc'k. 

 necnuse the flocks are irrejjular in their movements, and there is no 

 tellinj; where thev are »roini: to come next: it is n sheer acci<lent 

 if they cctme to u poisoned field. 



Mr. BrciiANAN. Do you ever poi.son any ducks ^ 



Doctor XKi..sr)\. \V(> poison the <xrain. 



Mr. BicirwAN. 1 know, but did you ever put out poison for ducks i 



Doctor Nelson. Oh, no. 



Mr. BrciiAXAN". They do in some places, do they not ( 



Doctor Xkl.son. 1 never heard of it. Wild ducks 'f 



Mr. BrciiA.VA.N. Yes. 



Doctor Nelson. I never heard of it. 



Mr. BicHAXAX. Ducks do go into the fields and tear the shocks 

 down. 



Doctor Nelson. 1 never lieard of poisonin*; them. 



Mr. BicHANAN. I heard they did in Canada. 



FOR inOLO(JICAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



Doctor Nelsox. The next item is for biological investigations, 

 which cover the technical, scientific investigational work of the 

 Imreau. forming the fundamental basis for our economic work. It 

 is necessary to study the various animals from a tecluiical point of 

 view in order to determine what they are, the different species of 

 birds and the difTerent species of mammals and their distribution and 

 characteristics. 



In connection with that, one of the forms of activities we are 

 pushing is the banding of migratory birds to study their (light — their 

 lines of travel. A greaf many people are doing this work volun- 

 tarily. I think there are over 400 in difTerent parts of the I'nited 

 States who are ihung this voluntary work. We supply the bands and 

 the blanks for records, and thev do the work. They trap the birds in 

 wire traps or nets, antl put an aluminum band on one leg of each bird. 

 This band has an inscription on it to return t() the Biological Survey, 

 Washington, and when anyone gets one of these birds, the band is 

 removed and mailed in. 



Mr. Anderson. The band having a serial number, or something of 

 that sort i 



