Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific Knowledge, policies, or practices. —- Tr 5 United States Department of the Intefior Bureau of Biological Survey om Fevruary 1940 — THE BICLOGICAL SURVEY ifASIAL CCLLECTION wr Gompiled in-the Section of “ildlife Surveys Division of Wildlife Rescarch The Bureau cf es ge el Survey had its inception on duly 1, 1885, when there became available $5,000 that had been appropriated by the 48th Congress for the promotion of economic ornithology. The unit, with ©. Hart Merriam in charge, was made a branch of the Division of Entomology. A year bie. July 1, 1886, the project was ssverated from the Division of Entomology and made indevendent under the name "Division of Economic Ornithology and gf Seasons” An appropriation of $10,000 was granted for the promotion of economic ort thology and mammalogy, thus enlarging the sccpe of the work over the previcus = and increasing its usefulness. The function of the enlarged Division as to investigate the focd habits, distribution, and migrations of North Seicen birds and manmals in relation to agriculture, horticulture, and forestry. By act (29 Stat. L., 99, 100, 102) approved April 25, A be the organization became known as the Division of Biological Survey and it re=- tained this title until March 3, 1905, when it was designated as ae Bureau of Biological Survey. he Biological Survey mammal collection is limited to specimens of re= cent oa rth and Mid@le Americanls spccies, of which it has the largest repre- sentation of any collection in the world. Included is the~tyve specimen of the smallest North ‘mcricen mammal, Microsorcox hoyi winnemana, a tiny shrew less than 3 inches.long from tip of nose to tip of tail, which was collected by Edward A, Preble along the Potomac, on the Virginia side of the river, and the type of the largest species of all existing carnivores, the Kodiak bear, Ursus middendorffi,.collectod by 3. J. Bretherton on Kodiak Island, Alaska. The most cherished, valuable, and really irreplaceable specimens of any collection are the types and topotypos. Thore are ate type specimens in the Biological Survey collection, 1,261 of which were described by members of the Biological Survey staff. More than 2,500 species and subspecies of North American mammals are recognized today and many more doubtless will be. During his administration as chief of the Bureau of sie ge Survey Dr. Merrion made a special effort to obtain for the collection a representative U/ Middle Merica is the zoogeographic region between the Rio Grande ond Colombia, series of topotypes, i.e., additional specimens from the type locality, because of their importance in determining the validity and relationships of species and subspecies. He also, among other studies, conducted special research on the brown and grizzly bears, and for this investigation 1,864 specimens were gathered together. In 1918 the results of the study were published (Review of the Grizzly and Big Brown Beers of cae America (Genus Ursus), North Amer, Fauna No. 41). In this work Dr. Merriam described 22 new forms, which with the 59 he had previously named from the collection brought the total to 81. This study of materiel in the collection is representative of many others made by various scientists. Dr. Merriam, who was interested in many generic grouns, described 651 of the type specimens now in the coliection, and Hdvard A. Goldman described 266. Other members of the Bureau's staff past or present who have described several new forms include Vernon Bailey, A, H. Howell, H. H. T. Jackson, HE. W. Nelson, W. H. Osgood, and HE. A. Preble. The mammal specimens collected for the Biological Survey by the Death Rel ley Expedition in 1891 mumbered about 5,000 and QOS SE Ee largest contri- bution from a single expedition, E. W. Nelson and 3. A. Goldman collected more than 17,000 mammals in Mexico over a period of years, thus making the larg-} est contribution of any collector or team of ccllectors. The early revorts of the Chief of the Division of Ornithology and. Mammalogy record the progress of the organization. In 1890. it was stated; "The collectio begun by the Division a little more than a year and.a half ago has made gratify— ing progress, now numbering ee of 4,000 specimens of mammals." In the an- nual report of 1891 the Chief stated: "The study series of mammals and birds belonging to the Division ve been so largely increased during the year that the entire time of one clerk is necessary for the proper care of the collection." During succeeding years the mammal collection steadily grew until on January 1, 1940 it numbered 146,613 specimens, consisting of skins, skulls, and skeletons. The small mammals are made up into standard study skins and are arranged in pasteboard trays in drawers in metal-covered cases (GEL 1A), while the larger skins are tanned and hung in a specially constructed room, where they are sus- pended from iron rods by loops of cords passed through the skin above the nose ty and attached to a rod with an S-hook (fig. 1,B). The skulls ore placed im vidlgg) cardboard boxes, or cardboard trays, according to size, and are arranged in ; proper order. Details of technique and methods in the care of the Bureau collec=| tion have been described in a paper entitled, "The Care of Museu Specimens of Recent Mammals," by Hartley H. T. Jackson Guus Mamm. 7: 113-218, illus. 1926). ee When the Biological Survey was asked to undertake the control of predatory animals in 1916, a special effort was made to utilize to best advantage the mam=) mals killed, and large numbers of specimens taken by punters were deposited in the collection. As a result, the Survey collection now contains specimens ay’ “986 wolves, 3,523 coyotes, and 540 mountain lions, the largest study series #f these North American predators in the world, The mountain lions are being re- vised by BE, A. Goldman, who has described 6 now forms from this collection, ‘The Wolves are also in process of ‘investigatron (fig. 1,C), but the coyotes have not yet been intensively studied. The collection is indispensable in connection with the administration of wildlife along the many lines embraced in the general activities of the Bureau, and is the basis for oll of its distributional, taxonomic, and identification studies on mammals. Specimens are available also for rescarch purposes to re~ sponsible museums, educational institutions, and scientists throughout the country. The following 19 new genera of roderts and rabbits have been described fron the collection: Microdipodops, Pappogeouys, Cratogeomys, Platygeomys, Heterogeonys, eet OB ONY S Macrogeomys, 4yzogeomys, Lionys, Ototylomys, Neotomodon, Nelsonia, Teanopus, Hodouy s, Xenouys, Phenacomys, Napaeozanus, Brachylagus,. and ips Iepang. 14 of these from specimens collected by Nelson and Goldman in Mexico. The Biological Survey collection of North American recent mammals is stored in the United States National Museum, end laboratory facilities for study are provided there, The collection is accessioned in the museum catalogs, but is maintained as an independent unit. The richness of its composition fron North fmerica is shown by the following onureration as of January 1, 1940: O73 Snecinens of namnals in the Biological Survey collection , sey ee This list does not include any specinens collected outside of North and Middle Anerica and the West Indies, nor any. alcoholic specimens, all of these, together with nearly all of the vinnipeds, having been transferred to the United States National Museum collection proper. Marsupialia (opossums): Rodentia (squirrels, pocket Didel pha ia: aa) 6 ey ae BSH gophers, mice, rats, etc.): SCLUF UAC ie) ee) aie on Insectivora (moles, shrews): | Geomyidaes gus ver «. CxO5e Talpiaereyeacie™ vate (ee 989 | Heteromyidae ... 11,358 SOMUCHCAC HW ay Telia”) Os000 | og @iestonad dee vacuo) le 300 DOVaMN Hr uMei oral «ket AN DDA|» /y, CHMee Gd ae. ia. le fn ty au MoOMors sai cies US! aie ela A63 Unaidientataedie)/s es) 6 62 Moses e e °° e e s e e e Potala 6 oc. oie a 6 WaUeen Zar tN ;,870|Lagomorpha (hares, rabbits, pikas): . Carnivora (flesh-eating man- Ochotomidae .. . 824 mais, including bears, Lepora@ae is 6); seem weasels, wolves, cats, TOG es tas) Veni Vol vite iaelh ell Wales Bashi Muara © ay edie! atidioinncs 655 Chiroptera (bats); Aplodontiidae. | : 264 Embalilonuridac. .« s « 62 Zemodsi Gael.) rey ve) ey) a) Marae Noe tiliiomila ae’ 2). fu. 10 | Erethizontidae . .... 958 Phyalilto sbemaudae'.: lentes 540 | Enchimyiidae. . . . Sas Desmodontidae ... . 64 | Dasyproctidac. .. 55 Ieee ah esiten git Yn ag fit Cumaieral Alas cieraeti 26 Vespertilionidae. . . 2,62ee | Bydrochoeridae .. 6 | | | | ete.): Wrigt@aer. ah lie. se ie Doe OS Artiodactyla (even-tocd Proc yiomaciee 2.5) 01s waite 7E1 hoofed memmals, including pigs, deer, exen, etc.): iba gay s\sul(Clarsy su) oul 86 Crehenaliclarcme cmon tO ite, LOS) Antilocapridae .. 106 BOW elaele! iey)iiah iia elie Bile, GG Gaye all eal bell hath one vehenteH Nas 1,869 laps skstanoal eelal/obatsyainis).\) jai 165 MUStebaidmae ie ees) mone ge VE Weide. er le) e elite 4 Gye Waleliali2iieysmyle Mens aa ie MU OMAN SNeYee zy eR CRE yo ipii tie ley Nie iG aoe, Glass ee) We Vie tent Yat ion ewig GOL OO Perissodactyla (tapirs, horses)? Papier LEAS is \e))/oh |e) veoh en le 9 Pinnipedia (walruses, seals); Otariidae. e e e e s ° e e 2 1 Primates (Monkeys): Xenarthra (edentates )s | | | | | | | | | { | | | Cfo Wal gugpl (clalawelaveyiiaiiio yer aia) Bradypodidac . «. e 5 AMO CUMS 6) Vee) fee 38 Choloepodidae. .. 3 JNOnmauC Haney ouMCMMCRY NCH TRC 10 Myrmecophagidac. . 24 Ceomdianels 1) as) soy iit 63 Dasypodidae. ~~ . . 40 Hoh Ue ee Mares OCR RR ce 122 OW iey lah ell ies) rer @) vital lel lite 72 Grand total for the entire memmal’ Collects Om) eye) ie\)isi\ 61 ©. eee aoomOne FIGURE 1.--A, Quarter-junit case for small skins, Half-unit case is twice as long but is of same depth and height. Unit case is greater than half- unit in all dimensions and has about four times the volume, B, Section of tanned-skin room: wolf skins at right; bobcat and lynx skins at left. C, Comparing wolf skulls for identification in the skull room. Tops of storage cases are used for table space. Rack on top of cases is used for large-antlered skulls. ie 4) ap! i fi i i Son pate NasalIS Nan repeal \ i