LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. DEPARTMENT or AGRICULTURE, 



BUREAU or BIOLOGICAL SURVEY, 



Washington, D. C., March 13, 1912. 



SIR : I have the honor to transmit herewith, for publication as Bul- 

 letin No. 43 of the Biological Survey, an index, by W. L. McAtee, to 

 papers on the food and food habits of birds, published up to Decem- 

 ber 31, 1911, by the Biological Survey of the Department of Agri- 

 culture. Since 1885 no fewer than 131 papers relating wholly or in 

 part to the economic status of birds have appeared in the various pub- 

 lications of the department, including Annual Reports, Bulletins, 

 Faunas, Yearbooks, Farmers' Bulletins, and Circulars. These con- 

 tain more or less extended accounts of 401 species of native birds and 

 59 foreign or introduced species. The index serves the two very 

 useful purposes: (1) Of showing just what has and what has not 

 been published by the department on the status of birds in the 

 United States; (2) of greatly facilitating reference to the data con- 

 tained in the reports. 

 Respectfully, 



HENRY W. HENSHAW, 



Chief, Biological Survey. 

 Hon. JAMES WILSON, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



