194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Another field covered by the Biological Survey relates to 

 game protection and introduction. About tAvo years ago 

 Congress passed a bill knoAvn as the Lacey act, which gave 

 the Department of Agriculture authority to regulate the 

 importation of mammals and birds into the United States, 

 and placed under its jurisdiction all matters relating to the 

 federal protection and preservation of game. While this 

 is of much interest to the sportsman, it is of even more 

 serious moment to the farmer and fruit grower. Some of 

 our best game birds, notably the quail and prairie chicken, 

 are of inestimable value as pest destroyers, consuming pro- 

 digious numbers of grasshoppers and other harmful insects. 

 The quail devours enormous numbers of chinch bugs, and 

 is one of the few birds known to feed on the Colorado 

 potato beetle. The wholesale destruction of these birds by 

 sportsmen and others is a matter for serious concern. The 

 Biological Survey is making a special effort to regulate the 

 killing of game birds, and to publish trustworthy informa- 

 tion respecting their distribution and food habits. It is 

 also helping the farmer by keei)ing out the mongoose, one 

 of the greatest scourges known among mammals, and pre- 

 venting the introduction of certain species of birds which 

 are likely to prove as great a pest as the English sparrow. 

 Under authorit}^ of the Lacey act, it keeps a close watch on 

 importations of birds and mammals into this country, and 

 issues permits for the introduction of non-injurious species. 



But the most important work on Avhich the Biological 

 Survey is engaged is of a very different character, and con- 

 sists in an effort to actually map the boundaries of the dif- 

 ferent agricultural belts and areas of our country. It has 

 been found that areas fitted by nature for certain associa- 

 tions of native animals and plants are adapted to the culti- 

 vation of particular varieties of crops and particular breeds 

 of stock. This forms the basis of the work of the Biologi- 

 cal Survey proper, for, when the courses of the natural life 

 belts are determined, they will bo found to coincide with 

 the boundaries of the crop belts. This, it goes without 

 saying, is of the utmost practical interest to the farmer, 

 particularly in newly settled regions, as the maps of the 



