﻿LETTER 
  OF 
  TRANSMITTAL. 
  

  

  U. 
  S. 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  

  

  Biological 
  Survey, 
  

   Washington, 
  D. 
  C, 
  July 
  15, 
  1905. 
  

   Sir: 
  I 
  have 
  the 
  honor 
  to 
  transmit 
  for 
  publication 
  as 
  Bulletin 
  24 
  

   of 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey 
  a 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  Grouse 
  and 
  Wild 
  Turkeys 
  

   of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  by 
  Sylvester 
  D. 
  Judd. 
  From 
  the 
  earliest 
  set- 
  

   tlement 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  these 
  game 
  birds 
  have 
  been 
  

   of 
  great 
  economic 
  consequence. 
  Their 
  value 
  as 
  food 
  was 
  early 
  rec- 
  

   ognized, 
  and 
  they 
  played 
  an 
  important 
  role 
  by 
  furnishing 
  the 
  pio- 
  

   neers 
  with 
  no 
  small 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  fare. 
  When 
  found 
  by 
  the 
  Span- 
  

   iards 
  domesticated 
  among 
  the 
  Indians 
  of 
  Mexico, 
  the 
  importance 
  

   of 
  the 
  turkey 
  was 
  at 
  once 
  perceived, 
  and 
  the 
  bird 
  was 
  soon 
  carried 
  

   all 
  over 
  the 
  world. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  in 
  comparatively 
  recent 
  times, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  that 
  the 
  economic 
  value 
  of 
  grouse 
  and 
  turkeys 
  as 
  insect 
  de- 
  

   stroyers 
  has 
  been 
  recognized. 
  The 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  present 
  investi- 
  

   gations 
  should 
  lead 
  to 
  a 
  wider 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  essential 
  part 
  these 
  

   birds 
  play 
  in 
  checking 
  the 
  increase 
  of 
  noxious 
  weeds 
  and 
  insects 
  and 
  

   the 
  importance 
  of 
  preserving 
  them 
  and 
  of 
  increasing 
  their 
  numbers. 
  

   Eespectfully, 
  

  

  C. 
  Hart 
  Merriam, 
  

   Chief, 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  

   Hon. 
  James 
  Wilson, 
  

  

  Secretary 
  of 
  Agriculture. 
  

  

  