A 



United States Department cf the Intefeor 

 Bureau of Biological Survey 



Wildlife Leaflet 33-153 



U.S. F. S 



LIBRARY 



MAR 1 J . "Q 



-I 





Washington, D. C. 



February 



THE 3ICL0GICA I SURVEY M AMMAL JCIMMOTIOfl 



Compiled in the Section of ^ildlifo Surveys 

 Divisor of Wildlife Boscrrch 



The Bureau cf Biological Survey had its inception on July 1, 1385, when 

 there became available $5,000 that had been appropriated "by the 48th Congress 

 for the "Promotion of economic ornithology. The unit, with C. Eart Merrian in 

 charge, was made a branch of the Division of Sntor.oiogy. A year later, July 

 1, 1886, the project was separated from the Division of Entomology and made 

 independent under the name "Division of Economic Ornithology and Mammal ogy. " 

 An appropriation of $10,000 was granted for the promotion of economic orni- 

 thology and mammalogy, thus enlarging the sccpe of the work over the previous 

 year and increasing its usefulness. The function of the enlarged Division 

 was to investigate the food habits, distribution, and migrations of ITerth 

 American bird? and mammals in relation to agriculture, horticulture, and 

 forestry. 3y act (29 Stat. L. , 99, IOC, 102) approved April 25, 1896, th 

 organization became known as the Division of Biological Survey and it re- 

 tained this title until March 5, 1905, when it was designated t 



;he Bureau 



of 



■biological Survey, 



The Biological Survey mammal collection is limited to specimens of r - 

 ■ent Morth and Middle American!*'' spe cies, of which it has the largest repre- 

 sentation of any collection in the world. Included is the type specimen of 

 smallest North Aacrican mammal, M icro so rex hoyi winncmana , a tiny shrew 

 less than 3 inches long from tip of nose to tip of tail, which was collect 

 by Edward A, Preble along the Potomac, on the Virginia side of the river, and 

 the type of the largest species of ell existing carnivores, the Xodi : r, 



Ursus midden, orffi, . collected by 3. J. Bretherton on Eodiak Island, A~ 



The most cherished, valuable, and really irreplaceable specimens of i 



collection are the types and topotypos. There are 1,513 type s in 



the Biological Survey collection, 1,261 of which were described by membors 

 of the Biological Survey staff. More than 2,500 . sies and sut 

 North American mammals are recognised today and ma) i re doubtless will V . 

 During his administration as chief of the Bureau of Biological Sur 

 Me'rriam made a special effort to obtain for the collects 



1/ Middle Aierica is the zoogeographic region, 

 end Colombia. 



