LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 
To the President of the Board of Regents of The University of Min | 
nesota: 
_Sir.—I have the honor herewith to transmit to your honor- 
able Board my first report as State Zoologist. 
Nearly all of the matter originally intended for this report 
has been crowded out by Dr. Hatch’s ‘‘Notes on the Birds of 
Minnesota,’ which for several reasons I felt constrained to sub- 
mit at present in their original form, and which accompany 
my general introduction. 
Dr. Hatch was years ago requested to write a report on the 
birds of Minnesota, by Professor Winchell, when the State Geol- 
ogist had charge of all the divisions of the survey. For this. 
and other reasons I have not assumed any editorial responsi- 
bilities and privileges, but simply those of a transmitter. 
A report on the birds of Minnesota is now in process of pre- 
paration, and just as soon as the ornithologist has important 
data, not yet in hand, at his disposal, and the mass of notes 
and material collected during the past thirty years has been 
thoroughly sifted and arranged, it will be submitted for publi- 
cation. Very respectfully, 
Your obedient servant, 
HENRY F. NACHTRIEB. 
