UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
November 5, 1911. 
Mr. Alex Wetmore, 
Agent, Bureau of Biological Survey, 
Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D.G. 
Dear Mr. Wetrnore: 
In accordance with letter of authority No . 3228 from the 
Secretary, dated November 28, 1911, you are authorised to proceed 
on or about December 6, 1911 to New York City, whence you will 
take the steamer to Porto Rico, v/here you v/ill investigate the 
economic status of the birds and mammals of the island in cooper- 
ation with the Insular Department of Agriculture. You should 
advise with Prof. J. T. CraY7ley, Director of the Experiment Sta- 
tion, and Mr. Navarete in regard to the best means of carrying 
on the v/ork, and the localities where it is most important to 
raa^ke investigations . 
You will make a careful studybf the damage done to Island 
crops by insects with reference to the possibility of introduc- 
iiig into the Island foreign birds from Merica or elsewhere to 
aid in the destruction of such insect pests . 
In addition to the preservation of birds’ stomachs you 
should collect seeds and berries v/hich fuiTiish food for birds, 
and in the case of all species unknovm to you you should collect 
enough of the plant to enable it to be identified . Specimens 
of the insects eaten freely by birds (especially the Coleoptera, 
Hemiptera, and Orthoptera) also should be collected for future 
