﻿LETTER 
  OF 
  TRANSMITTAL. 
  

  

  U. 
  S. 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  

  

  Biological 
  Survey, 
  

   Washington, 
  D. 
  '., 
  July 
  25, 
  1905. 
  

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

   letin 
  No. 
  22 
  of 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey 
  a 
  preliminary 
  report 
  upon 
  birds 
  

   in 
  their 
  relation 
  to 
  the 
  boll 
  weevil, 
  by 
  Vernon 
  Bailey. 
  In 
  view 
  of 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  this 
  destructive 
  insect 
  continues 
  to 
  extend 
  its 
  range 
  into 
  

   unoccupied 
  cotton 
  regions, 
  it 
  is 
  obvious 
  that 
  no 
  factor 
  in 
  the 
  warfare 
  

   against 
  it 
  can 
  safely 
  be 
  neglected. 
  The 
  relation 
  of 
  birds 
  to 
  the 
  boll 
  

   weevil 
  and 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  dependence 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  placed 
  upon 
  the 
  

   former 
  in 
  limiting 
  its 
  inroads 
  are 
  not 
  well 
  understood. 
  As 
  requests 
  

   from 
  the 
  cotton 
  districts 
  for 
  information 
  upon 
  the 
  subject 
  have 
  been 
  

   many 
  and 
  urgent, 
  field 
  investigations, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  present 
  bulletin 
  

   is 
  the 
  first 
  outcome, 
  are 
  now 
  being 
  conducted 
  by 
  the 
  Biological 
  Sur- 
  

   vey, 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  ascertaining 
  the 
  particular 
  birds 
  which 
  perform 
  

   the 
  most 
  important 
  service 
  in 
  preying 
  upon 
  the 
  weevil, 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  

   that 
  special 
  protection 
  be 
  extended 
  to 
  such 
  species. 
  

   Respectfully, 
  

  

  A. 
  K. 
  Fisher, 
  

   Acting 
  Chief, 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  

   Hon. 
  James 
  "Wilson, 
  

  

  Secretary 
  of 
  Agriculture. 
  

  

  