MAMMALIAN LIFE-HISTORIES. 7 



CONCLUSION. 



Any department of natural history, if pursued in the proper 

 spirit, is replete with interest. But none, perhaps, promises a 

 greater return in real satisfaction than the field study of the home 

 life of wild mammals and birds. Keference has already been made 

 to the practical importance of the investigations, which will often 

 bear directly upon problems in other lines of inquiry. 1 



It is universally conceded that the work throughout, if it is to be 

 done well, must be founded on an adequate taxonomic basis ; but the 

 time has arrived when a new emphasis is possible on the intensive 

 study of the living animal in its natural environment. 



The outline just presented will indicate the richness of the field. 

 In order to do it justice, the work of many individuals and insti- 

 tutions throughout the country is required. On the taxonomic side 

 each State should have at least one representative collection of the 

 mammals and other vertebrates to be found within its borders. The 

 building up of private collections should likewise be encouraged. 

 There are still great gaps in the material representative of the 

 larger groups of mammals and of most of the smaller ones, even in 

 the larger collections in this country. 



But the incompleteness in our information regarding life histories 

 is even more conspicuous. Universities, colleges, normal and high 

 schools, State scientific surveys, State and city museums, and State 

 associations and commissions for the protection of fish and game, 

 as well as the United States Department of Agriculture, all have an 

 opportunity to serve their respective constituencies and the country 

 in this field. 2 



1 These related lines of inquiry include problems in scientific agriculture, geographical 

 distribution, phenology, migration, ecology, physiology, medical zoology, behavior, game 

 protection and the conservation of natural resources, morphology, heredity, organic 

 evolution, and economic zoology. 



2 The Bureau of Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture, solicits corre- 

 spondence from any individual or institution planning work on the relationships or life 

 histories of mammals or birds, and will be glad to assist with advice or suggestions as 

 opportunity may be given. 



