﻿LETTER 
  OF 
  TRANSMITTAL. 
  

  

  U. 
  8. 
  Department 
  of 
  Agriculture, 
  

  

  Biological 
  Survey, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  D. 
  0., 
  July 
  10, 
  1906. 
  

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

   tin 
  No. 
  26 
  of 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey, 
  a 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  Distribution 
  and 
  

   Migration 
  of 
  North 
  American 
  Ducks, 
  Geese, 
  and 
  Swans, 
  by 
  Wells 
  W. 
  

   Cooke, 
  assistant 
  in 
  the 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  Formerly 
  abundant 
  over 
  

   the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  waterfowl 
  are 
  steadily 
  diminishing 
  in 
  

   numbers, 
  and 
  some 
  species 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  threatened 
  with 
  extinction 
  in 
  

   the 
  not 
  distant 
  future. 
  Their 
  value 
  for 
  food 
  is 
  great, 
  and 
  they 
  have 
  

   formed 
  in 
  the 
  past, 
  and 
  for 
  all 
  future 
  time 
  should 
  continue 
  to 
  form, 
  a 
  

   valuable 
  asset 
  and 
  an 
  important 
  source 
  of 
  revenue 
  to 
  the 
  several 
  States 
  

   which 
  harbor 
  them. 
  The 
  preservation 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  species 
  of 
  

   ducks, 
  geese, 
  and 
  swans 
  is 
  becoming 
  an 
  important 
  matter 
  of 
  legisla- 
  

   tive 
  enactment, 
  and 
  the 
  present 
  report 
  is 
  intended 
  to 
  furnish 
  informa- 
  

   tion 
  as 
  to 
  present 
  range, 
  abundance, 
  and 
  migration 
  of 
  the 
  several 
  

   species 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  practical 
  legislation. 
  

   Respectful^, 
  

  

  H. 
  W. 
  Henshaw, 
  

   Acting 
  Chief, 
  Biological 
  Survey. 
  

   Hon. 
  James 
  Wilson, 
  

  

  Secretary 
  of 
  Agriculture. 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  