REPORT OF CHIEF OF BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 



United States Departsient of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Biological Survey, 

 Washington^ D. C.^ Seftembev ^, 1919, 

 Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a report on the work 

 of the Bureau of Biological Survey for the fiscal year ended June 

 80, 1919. 



Respectfully, 



E. W. Nelson, 

 Chief of Bureau, 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, - 



Seci'etary of Agriculture, 



WORK OF THE BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



The activities of the Bureau of Biological Survey are conducted 

 under four divisions: (1) Investigations of the food habits of North 

 American birds and mammals in relation to agriculture, in charge 

 of Dr. A. K. Fisher; ('2) biological investigations, with special 

 reference to the habits and geographic distribution of native ani- 

 mals and plants, in charge of E. W. Nelson; (3) supervision of 

 national mammal and bird reservations, in charge of Dr. G. AY. 

 Field; (4) administration of the migratory-bird treaty act and en- 

 forcement of the Lacey Act regulating the importation of birds and 

 the interstate shipment of game, in charge of George A. Lawyer. 



ECONOMIC INVESTIGATIONS. 



Largely increased war emergency funds were added to the regular 

 appropriation during this fiscal year for the campaign against preda- 

 tory animals and injurious rodents. As a result, the work was more 

 thoroughly organized and was conducted on a greater scale than 

 during any previous year. The Federal funds available for this 

 purpose amounted to $592,000. To this was added a total of more 

 than $800,000 by States, counties, farmers and stock-growers' organ- 

 izations, and individuals, in funds expended in cooperation with, 

 and mainly under the direct guidance of, the Biological Survey. In 

 addition to these funds, much material and the personal services of 

 many thousands of farmers and stock growers were contributed to 

 the field work, in assisting to destroy animal pests both on private 

 lands and on Government lands adjacent to private holdings. In 

 North Dakota about 42,000 farmers joined in the work and in Mon- 

 tana about 18,000. In other States cooperation was general and in- 

 volved large numbers of men. 



During the early part of 1919 the legislatures of Arizona, Colo- 

 rado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, Oregon, 



275 



