LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Biological Survey, 

 Washington^ D. April 13^ 1908. 

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

 North American Fauna No. 27, a report on the natural history of 

 the Athabaska-Mackenzie region, by Edward A. Preble. It is based 

 mainly on the results of tw^o expeditions conducted by the author in 

 the interests of the Biological Survey — the first in 1901, the second 

 in 1903-4. The report was completed by Mr. Preble in the fall of 

 1906, but owing to the condition of the printing fund was not sent 

 to the printer until April, 1908. During the interval a large num- 

 ber of additional notes w^ere incorporated, so that it now represents 

 the state of knowledge of the region in the spring of 1908. The 

 facts here brought together fill a broad gap in our knowledge 

 of Boreal America, and connect the work previously done in the 

 Hudson Bay region on the east with that in Alaska on the west, 

 on w^hich the Biological Survey is still engaged. 

 Respectfully, 



C. Hart Merriam, 

 Chief, Biological Survey. 



Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



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