Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. a a mY ) ol ly ee aaa Rr ee i he j%=D t ‘ Ra wm fe * ar ‘ v3 193 RJ < REPORT OF THE CHIEF OF THE BUREAU, QF, qviosltare BIOLOGICAL SURVEY,’1934 Unirep Srarrs DrrarrMEentr o TRICULTURE, Bureau or Broroeicat Survey, Washington, D. C., August 31, 1934. Str: I present herewith the report of the Bureau of Biological Survey for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1934.1 J. N. Darina, Chief. Hon. Henry A. Warace, Secretary of Agriculture. INTRODUCTION REORGANIZATION OF THE BUREAU Within the Bureau of Biological Survey are the potential agencies for pro- moting a national movement for wildlife restoration. The knowledge and approved methods for such public activities must be provided and services extended to all State educational institutions and conservation organizations in position to cooperate. This report presents the accomplishment in these directions during the past year. To bring about a more complete coordination between the functions and the objectives of the Bureau, arrangements were completed at the close of the year for changes in organization, effective July 1, 1934. These involve the consolida- tion of the former Divisions of Game and Bird Conservation and of Predatory Animal and Rodent Control into a new Division of Game Management; the creation of a Division of Public Relations, by consolidating two sections for- merly responsible directly to the chief, and the assignment to it of additional functions in special correspondence and in relations with States; the creation of a new Division of Migratory Waterfowl; and the extension of the functions of the Division of Administration. BUREAU PERSONNEL The officials directing the major operations of the Bureau are as follows: Se a a W. C. Henderson Fo ala a a ES __W. lL. McAtee pi pat a ee ee W. B. Bell d en of" Birds 22a as) FF. C. Lincoln a ED LE Clarence Cottam Section of Reservations and Game vA? cri {seen nnn g Oana W. E. Crouch Rection of MaweEnforcement._____ =e ma ay Tete Ny = aay F. P. Callaghan 1 This report covers parts of two administrations of the Bureau of Biological Survey: On Mar. 1, 1934, Paul G. Redington, who had directed the work since May 9, 1927, was transferred at his own request to the Forest Service, to resume administrative work in an organization with which he had had 23 years’ previous Service. The present chief Was appointed on Mar. 10 and assumed office on Mar. 19, 1934. By additional reorganization effective Sept. 22, 1934, the former research divisions were consolidated as sections of one Division of Wildlife Research, 88647—34 i D, ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 For efficient administration the field work of the Division of Game Manage- ment will be directed through eight regions, as follows: (1) Pacific region (headquarters), Portland, Oreg.; (2) Mountain-Plains region, Denver, Colo.; (3) Southwestern region, Phoenix, Ariz.; (4) West Central region, Winona, Minn.; (5) Southern region, Starkville, Miss.; (6) East Central region, La Fayette, Ind.; (7) South Atlantic region, Washington, D. C.; and (8) Northeastern region, Amherst, Mass. DEATH OF FORMER CHIEF It is fitting here to record the death on May 19, 1934, in his eightieth year, of Edward William Nelson, third chief of the Biological Survey, from December 1, 1916, to May 8, 1927, and a member of the Bureau from 1890 to the time of his retirement at the age of 74 in 1929. His administration saw the expan- sion of the Bureau’s work on bird conservation through administration of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, its studies of the habits and distribution of birds through the bird-banding method, and the development of cooperative work with the States in predator and rodent control, including the building up of a trained field organization. Dr. Nelson originated the movement that resulted in the passage of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, which became law just before his retirement from the Bureau, and in the passage this year of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act. He was instrumental also in bringing about the negotiation of the treaty of 1916 with Great Britain for the protec- tion of birds that migrate to and from Canada, and the enactment of the Alaska Game Law of 1925, which established the present Alaska Game Com- mission, and in inaugurating the Bureau’s work for the improvement of the reindeer herds in Alaska. His broad interests in wildlife conservation and his indomitable courage in the face of physical handicaps have been an inspira- tion not only to his associates in the Government but also to hosts of officials and members of scientific and conservation organizations. RETIREMENTS OF VETERAN SCIENTISTS On July 31, 1933, two veteran scientists and authors of the Biological Sur- vey were retired—Vernon Bailey, after 46 years’ service; and Theodore Sher- man Palmer, after 44 years’. Mr. Bailey’s work was chiefly in mammalogy and in conducting biological surveys of major areas; Dr. Palmer’s included research, game-law enforcement, and administration; for many years between 1896 and 1914 he served as assistant chief of the Bureau and part of this time as acting chief, having prepared and transmitted the annual reports for the 4 years 1898-1901. WILDLIFE REFUGE FUNDS In January the Secretary of Agriculture appointed the members of the President’s Committee on Wild-Life Restoration, whose report, signed by its chairman, Thomas H. Beck, recommended the allocation of $25,000,000 for the restoration of submarginal and other lands suitable for development for game, nongame, fur, and other species. The other two members of the committee were Aldo Leopold and the present Chief of the Biological Survey. The funds since made available to the Bureau total $8,500,000, in addition to its regular annual appropriation. In carrying on its refuge program, the Biological Survey has received yvalu- able cooperation from the Public Works Administration, the Emergency Con- servation Work organization, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, and other agencies, and in turn the Bureau has given every possible assistance to the Government’s recovery program. Of the emergency allotments now available, $1,000,000 is from E. C. W. funds, set aside by Executive order for the acquisition of migratory waterfowl refuges ; $1,500,000 is from funds allocated for the withdrawal of submarginal lands, to be devoted to the production of migratory waterfowl; $8,500,000 is in drought-relief funds, to be used to purchase lands suitable for wildlife sanc- tuaries within drought-stricken regions; and $2,500,000 is in P. W. A. funds, for engineering operations to restore and control water levels, to stop soil erosion, and to improve food and other environmental conditions on Federal wildlife refuges. Additional funds to the extent of $600,000 to $1,000,000 are BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 3 in sight for refuges, though the operation of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act of March 16, 1934, which provides for the issuance of stamps through post offices at $1 each, to be in the possession of every person over 16 years of age who engages in the pursuit of ducks and geese, and for the expendi- ture by the Biological Survey of 90 percent of the revenue for the purposes of the act, the remaining 10 percent to cover administrative expenses, the printing and distribution of the stamps, and the protection of the birds. LAND-UTILIZATION PROGRAM AND WILDLIFE The rapid decrease of wildlife during the past half century has been hastened by the unwise appropriation of millions of acres that originally produced an abundance of game, fur bearers, and fish. Restoring these tracts is a principal objective of the national land-utilization program. This will afford a long-awaited opportunity to increase valuable forms of American wildlife through the establishment and maintenance of an extensive system of refuges. With the emergency funds available at the end of the year, surveys were completed or are under way, and acquisitions were begun on suitable tracts along the principal flight lanes and habitats of migratory wild fowl. Among areas acquired at the end of the fiscal year, or in process: of acquisition, were the following: Approximate Approvimatl. Area: acreage Area: acreage Lake Mattamuskeet, N. C_---~- 50, 000 James River, N, Dak_-------- 70, 000 SCLESVALLes miles ee 800 LakevAndes) SS; Waka See 16, 000 Mud Hake: Minnil— 22>. 2 50, 000 Medicine Lake, Mont--______ 15, 000 Union Slough, Iowa__-----~-~_ 5, 000 Turnbull Slough, Wash_______ 5, 000 Wingo Swamp, Mo------_--- 15, 000 Lake Malheur, Oreg___-----_ 80, 000 White Rivers: Ark=22 2s. 52_ "= 49, 000 The Spalding Ranch, Calif_-___ 15, 000 Desmiacst UN, Dake seas" "= 75, 000 Upper Mississippi River Wild- Mouse River, N. Dak--------_- 80, 000 life and Fish Refuge______ 1, 000 The conditions most favorable to wildlife are identical with those that reduce erosion and promote flood control and soil restoration by the conser- vation of water resources and the production of luxuriant growths of vegeta- tion for food and cover. The development of the refuge system will include replanting of food plants, raising water levels by the construction of small dams and dikes, reflooding drained areas, and impounding water in the upper tributaries of waterways. OUTSTANDING EVENTS OF THE YEAR The following is a brief summary of the outstanding events of the year in the work of the Bureau, or having an effect upon it. Many of them are dis- cussed in some detail under the appropriate sections of this report on wildlife research, utilization, protection, or control. Announcement of the reorganization of the work of the Bureau, with changes in administrative personnel and the creation of new divisions, effective July 1, 1934. Passage of legislation by the Seventy-third Congress authorizing the estab- lishment of fish and game sanctuaries on national forests (Pub. No. 120, Mar. 10) ; providing for coordination of interdepartmental work to insure that engineering projects that might adversely affect wildlife resources are instituted only after advice has been sought from the Bureau of Biological Survey or the Bureau of Fisheries (Pub. No. 121, Mar. 10); and requiring that a $1 migratory-bird hunting stamp be affixed to licenses of waterfowl hunters (Pub. No. 124, Mar. 16). Creation of a Special Committee on Wild-Life Conservation in the House of Representatives. Appointment of the President’s Committee on Wild-Life Restoration and the publication of its recommendations. Completion of a most exhaustive study of the waterfowl situation through- out the United States and on important Canadian breeding grounds, including an analysis of the abundance, movements, and food resources of the birds, and the collection of data on baiting and other hunting practices, as a basis for hunting regulations. Observations of the work of Civilian Conservation Corps camps on eastern national forests, with recommendations for the conservation of food and cover plants for wildlife without detriment to the forest-improvement operations. / 4 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 Iuvestigations of conditions affecting the Roosevelt elk of the Olympic Peninsula, Wash., with recommendations to officials of the Forest Service and the State regarding herd management. The birth of 7 calves (5 still living) in the herd of musk oxen reestablished by the Bureau in Alaska in 1930, the first births of the species in the Territory for more than a century. Satisfactory outcome of research in California for developing selective con- trol methods of birds injurious to agriculture and horticulture. Announcement to fox farmers by the Farm Credit Administration that Silver foxes are eligible security for loans to aid the industry, following con- sideration of data presented by the Biological Survey, gathered in cooperation with fox breeders and their associations. Beginnings of expenditure of extensive allotments for emergency funds for the acquisition, development, and improvement of refuges for migratory birds. A successful experiment in concentrating on short notice a mobile force of law-enforcement agents in an area where violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act were particularly flagrant, resulting in the arrest of 78 poachers and in putting an effective stop to violations. Definite control of typhus fever in Georgia, Alabama, and Texas through the destruction of at least 7,500,000 rats in a campaign conducted for the purpose under a Civil Works Administration project in cooperation with the United States Public Health Service. Prosecution of rodent control on nearly 5,000,000 acres of Indian-reservation and national-forest infested lands, through the employment of Civilian Con- servation Corps workers. RESEARCH ON THE STATUS AND RELATIONSHIPS OF WILDLIFE COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF WATERFOWL The continuance of unfavorable waterfowl conditions led the Biological Survey to increase its efforts to collect information and make the facts public. Resulting from extended investigations, continued from previous years, but amplified and intensified, the data gathered constituted the most exhaustive report on the current conditions of migratory waterfowl ever compiled. Maps were prepared from data collected in the field to show the principal breeding ranges and the regions of sport shooting of 24 of the most highly prized species of waterfowl and to portray the parts of the normal breeding ranges that had been rendered practically unproductive by shortage of water, food, and cover. These maps, accompanied by explanatory data, have been prepared for distribution as a printed document. (Misc. Pub. No. 210.) This year’s drought is the culmination of reduced rainfall prevailing since 1915 ower a large part of the waterfowl-breeding: grounds of the Northwestern States and the southern parts of the Prairie Provinces of Canada. Reports by the United States Weather Bureau and the Meteorological Service of the Dominion of Canada indicate that it is the longest continued, covers the great- est area, and is the most severe in the known history of the two countries. Combined with encroachments on breeding grounds by agriculture and drain- age operations, and shooting by increased numbers of well-equipped hunters pro- vided with transportation facilities that enable them to reach quickly the favorite hunting grounds, it has caused alarming losses of waterfowl. A close check was kept by representatives of the Bureau in Canada and the United States, and by a large number of cooperative observers, on the out- come of the breeding seasons of 1983 and 1934, and a special study was made during the open season of 1938 of baiting, a practice that has accentuated the seriousness of the waterfowl problem. Experienced representatives of the Survey were sent to the more important nesting regions during the breeding season, and intensive investigations will be continued next fall and winter. The results of all these investigations have shown conclusively an appalling shortage of waterfowl, a particularly serious plight of certain important spe- cies, and the necessity for taking immediate steps to save an adequate breed- ing stock, These reports have been widely commented upon by the daily press aa outdpdor periodicals, and have provided a basis of scientifie fact for water- fowl-hun ing regulations. BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 5 BANDING GAME AND OTHER BIRDS Study of migratory and other birds by the banding method continues to dem- onstrate its value in obtaining authentic information and its popularity among both sportsmen and nature students. Banding stations are now operated at various points throughout the United States and Canada by 1,874 cooperators. These stations, selected with care, cover as adequately as is now possible the important migration routes of the various species. Technical workers are cooperating in increasing numbers, and State universities, agricultural colleges, and other scientific and educational institutions are actively engaging in this means of research. Birds reported as banded during the year totaled about 364,000, an increase of more than 100,000 over last year. Banded birds recovered at various points numbered more than 18,000, an increase of nearly 2,000. The critical water- fowl situation, and the necessity for obtaining reliable information regarding flight routes between breeding and wintering grounds, stimulated special work at waterfowl-banding stations, at 50 of which 40,534 ducks and geese of 26 species were banded. These represented all the important game species and registered an increase of about 25 percent over last year. For the first time the mallard dropped to second place among the birds banded, the number being 9,424, as against 14,290 pintails, probably the result of several stations having deliberately concentrated on the latter. Return records for banded ducks and geese totaled 5,775. A report, based partly on bird-banding studies, was published under the title ‘“‘ Restocking of Marshes with Hand-reared Mallards not Proved Prae- ticable ” in the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1934 (pp. 310-313). RESEARCH ON BIG-GAME MAMMALS OLYMPIC AND OTHER ELK At the request of the Forest Service, and with the active cooperation of the State Game Commission of Washington, a study was made of the Roosevelt elk, of conditions affecting these animals on the Olympic Peninsula, and of the elk herds on the Snoqualmie National Forest. On the Olympic Peninsula a close season on the elk had been maintained for many years, up to the fall of 1933, when a short open season was allowed, State officials being of the opinion that some hunting would be beneficial in areas of overpopulation. The diversity of opinion regarding this action made it desirable to study the numbers of the elk in various localities on the peninsula, their distribution in relation to the available food supply, and the economic and ecological effects of their grazing and browsing. A representative of the Biological Survey who has had extended experience in studying elk problems made the investigations, and his report indicated the desirability of a short open season during the fall of 1934, with proper limitations as to the number of elk to be taken in the various localities, and careful supervision of hunting. His recommendations were submitted to the State game officials for their use in fixing the hunting season and prescribing hunting and management practices. On the Snoqualmie National Forest attention was given to the numbers of elk present and their relationship to the Rattlesnake Game Preserve. Sound and silent motion pictures were prepared, depicting the life history and habits of the elk of the Jackson Hole region. MOUNTAIN-SHEEP CROSS-BREEDING EXPERIMENTS The results were observed of crossbreeding experiments between the Dal] mountain sheep and domestic sheep of Merino strain, conducted in cooperation with the Alaska College of Agriculture and School of Mines. The herd consists of 1 mountain-sheep ram, 6 domestic ewes, 3 crossbred yearlings, and 4 cross- bred lambs born during the spring of 1934. The coat of the crossbred aninals is largely composed of wool, with an admixture of hair, and the animals have larger frames than either the mountain sheep or the domestic sheep. In the course of summer grazing it was observed that the mountain sheep and the crossbred animals were not bothered by gnats and mosquitoes. The domestic sheep were troubled by attacks about the eyes, which often result in blind- ness. The crossbred animals appear to be hardy and well adapted to conditions in Alaska, and to indicate the definite value of developing a type of sheep 6 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 suited to production under the rigorous conditions there. Breeding was pre- vented until the middle of November, so that the lambs would be dropped in April and May, the gestation period being approximately 150 days. RESEARCH ON FOREST WILDLIFE Good progress Was made during the year in studying the relationships of wildlife to forestry, grazing, and other land use, and recommendations and plans were prepared relating to management practices. INFLUENCE OF MICE ON FOREST REPRODUCTION Investigations in the southern Appalachian region were made of the relation- ship of logging practices and slash disposal to the rodent population, and their effect on the reseeding of these areas to valuable timber types. An abnormal increase in the number of mice was due in part to the protection that slash afforded them from their natural enemies and to the availability of food in the presence of slash on the ground. Under such circumstances natural forest reproduction was found to be greatly reduced or totally lacking. Investigation of damage to nursery stock on the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, near Asheville, N. C., revealed the presence of the harvest mouse for the first time. Smallest of the native mice of the region and normally consid- ered harmless, it here proved surprisingly destructive to a bed of mountain pines, from each of which it had completely stripped the outer bark and cam- binm from the ground to the top. Not until this year has any damage been noted from pine mice in this moun- tainous region, but late in winter one check area was found where all the pine seedlings had been killed by their roots being eaten off. Though the pine mice, when present in large numbers, are a potential menace to nurseries and gardens, they will probably not prove a serious problem on timberland except under radically modified conditions. In the Southwestern States studies were made of the relationship of deer mice and meadow mice to stands of Douglas fir. In a heavily cut-over area twice as many deer mice and 283 times as many meadow mice were taken as in a nearby stand of Douglas fir. The rodents were much less abundant in thick stands of aspen, ponderosa pine, and oak than in open cut-over areas. ROLE OF PREDATORS IN SUPPRESSING FOREST RODENTS On the Bent Creek Experimental Forest a study of the fall and winter feed- ing habits of the gray fox shows rather conclusively that it lives almost entirely on mice, rabbits, and such fleshy fruits as persimmons and wild grapes. In only a few cases were bird remains found. The growing scarcity of birds of prey may make the gray fox increasingly important in rodent control. Studies of the relationship to predators of game-bird populations also have been continued. BEAVER AND DEER TRANSPLANTINGS Beavers have continued to increase where planted on forest lands in the vicinity of Asheville, N. C., where during the winter it was estimated that there were approximately 20 of these valuable fur bearers on one small lake. As there is an insufficient food supply available to support this number very long, plans were made for transplanting some to establish colonies on State and Federal game refuges in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Early in January, four were trapped and liberated on a lake in the Cherokee National Forest, near Blairsville, Ga., where they have adapted themselves satisfactorily to their new environment. Deer studies on forests have been largely concerned with a survey of over- abundance and means of reducing the surplus by trapping and distribution to other refuges. Through local cooperation, traps were constructed into which deer were successfully driven and crated for shipment with relatively little injury or loss. Over a period of several months during late winter, approxi- mately 200 were thus captured in North Carolina forests and distributed to forested areas elsewhere. A study was also made of conditions in the San Francisco Mountain Game Preserve, Arizona, where deer were found to be moderately abundant. Although BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 7. they do not yet threaten damage to ponderosa pine or other of their natural food plants, a system of rotating deer refuges seems desirable for northern Arizona. SNOWSHOE RABBITS AND REFORESTATION In a study of snowshoe rabbits and their relationship to forest reproduction on cut-over lands in the Lakes States region it was found that rabbits periodi- cally damage plantations through their destruction of pine and spruce seed- lings, by eating off the terminal and lateral branches. When the rabbit population is at a low ebb, however, little damage is noticeable. Most of it is in or near areas of dense low cover. Control by altering present silvicultural practices or reducing the numbers of rabbits is desirable only during the peak periods of rabbit abundance and then only on and adjacent to plantations planted or ready for planting. Attention in the Lakes States region also has been given to planning wild- life management practices adapted to forestry conditions. This includes the taking of game censuses, introducing game animals where advisable, planting Suitable game foods, and supervised removal of predators and other animals injurious to the forest trees and to valuable animal life. STUDIES OF OTHER FOREST WILDLIFE Field studies of the life history of wood rats in Arizona were virtually com- pleted during the year, and additional work was done on the relationship of jack rabbits to the stand of grass and other grazing plants. A detailed study was also made of the abundance of rodents covering a strip 20 to 30 feet wide and 56 miles long on the Santa Rita Range Reserve, Ariz., to provide a better understanding of rodent distribution especially as related to vegetation and soils. Two small field laboratories were constructed with P. W. A. funds. Through cooperation with the University of Arizona, assistance was rendered in upland game studies; and through cooperation with the Soil Erosion Service of the Department of the Interior the relationship of rodents to livestock grazing and soil erosion on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations was studied. Assistance also was given on submarginal land problems in coopera- tion with a committee on wildlife relationships of the University of Arizona, and maps were prepared indicating areas that might be suitable for wild- life development. Similar studies also were made on the public domain and on private lands adjacent to national forests and Indian reservations. INFLUENCE OF C. C. C. ACTIVITIES ON WILDLIFE At the request of the Forest Service a biologist made a detailed inspection of the cultural work of the Civilian Conservation Corps camps on national forests in the southern Appalachian Mountain region, from northern Virginia south into Alabama. He visited camps on each forest, and studied the work from the viewpoint of its effect on wildlife. Recommendations were made to the Forest Service on means by which the operations might be improved in the interest of wildlife without detriment to the forest-improvement work. Similar work also was done in the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. In the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1934, an article was published (pp. 373-376) on Wild Life Factors Important in Efforts to Improve Forests. IMPROVEMENT OF REINDEER INDUSTRY IN ALASKA The substation at Nome of the reindeer experiment station was closed early in the year because of reduced appropriations, and it was not possible to undertake further field studies of reindeer-caribou crossbreeding experiments on Nunivak Island. About 75 caribou, including 5 particularly large bulls and about 25 fawns, were trapped last spring in one of the fenced pastures during an unprecedented migration through the immediate section about the reindeer experiment station at College, to be used in crossbreeding experiments with reindeer. MUSK-OX INVESTIGATIONS The most notable event in the herd of musk oxen since their introduction into Alaska in 1930 was the first calving of the animals at the reindeer experiment Station. Two calves were born on April 29; 2 on May 1 (1 weighing 2414 8 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 pounds being still-born) ; the fifth on May 10, the sixth on June 8, and the seventh on or about June 24. The calves were subject to attack by the older animals, particularly the bulls, and the last calf born, weighing 17 pounds, died of injuries thus received. Of the 9 cows, now 5 years old, 7 gave birth to calves. There are in addition 4 cows now 4 years old that did not breed. Effective patrol to protect the musk oxen from predatory animals proved particularly difficult owing to the dense brushy thickets on the pasture. Hight black bears and one black wolf were killed, and during the spring several men Wiens employed in clearing out brush about the enclosure to facilitate patrol. During the shedding period 24 pounds of musk-ox wool was collected and turned over to the extension service of the College of Agriculture and School of Mines for weaving experiments, and many scarfs that sold at $10 each were woven by girl students. Further experiments are being conducted in weaving such articles as mittens, socks, and baby clothes. Previous studies by textile experts have shown that the wool compares favorably with cashmere and vicuna, and holds considerable promise for successful development in the making of garments that are exceptionally light, soft, and warm. Of the 34 musk oxen introduced 4 years ago, 24 survive. There are now 13 cows of breeding age in the herd, 11 bulls, and the 5 calves, and steady in- crease is anticipated. SCIENTIFIC REFERENCE COLLECTIONS AND RECORDS Consistent progress was made in assembling and recording scientific informa- tion based on collections of specimens and data obtained regarding the life history, habits, and distribution of mammals and birds. Many investigators, including a number from foreign countries, utilize the laboratories and the record files at Washington. During the fiscal year 489 mammal specimens were identified for 41 institutions and individuals in 18 States; loans of 170 speci- mens were made to 9 institutions and individuals in 7 States and 1 foreign country ; and 627 mammal specimens were borrowed for use of specialists from 9 institutions in 6 States and 1 foreign country. The number of mammal specimens received for permanent deposit in the Biological Survey collection was 636, nearly twice the number received last year. Activity in describing new forms of mammals has been particularly pro- nounced during the year. In articles published in various journals by the staff of the Biological Survey, 64 were described as new. New type specimens of mammals added to the Biological Survey collection numbered 53, belonging to the following genera: Felis, 2; Thomomys, 24; Cratogeomys, 15; Orthogeomys, 1; Perognathus, 2; Dipodomys, 5; Sigmodon, 2; and Neotoma, 2. The number of type specimens of mammals now in the Biological Survey collection is 907. A total of 4,400 mammal records were added to the card information files. During the year 1,632 bird specimens were added to the collection, chiefly from North Carolina and Georgia. The number of new card records for the year totals 27,615, making the grand total more than 1,954,000 card records on the distribution and migration of birds, exclusive of data in the bird-banding files. These carded records include invaluable data gathered over a period of nearly half a century, and are made readily available in this form for the use of scientific investigators throughout the country as well as members of the Survey staff. Assistance given other scientific and administrative organizations in- cluded identifications of 734 birds for Museums, educational institutions, and other organizations; assistance also was given cooperators engaged in pre- paring publications on the birds of the fcllowing States: Louisiana, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Virginia, Washington, Utah, North Carolina, Oregon, and Nevada; and 4038 birds were loaned to specialists making studies of particular groups or regions. Much work has also been done in keeping the taxonomic classification of the collection of specimens up to date, and in conformity with revisions of the various groups. A comprehensive article on the research work of the Biological Survey and a historical account of the Bureau’s work was prepared under the direction of the Chief, and published with illustrations in the October 1933 issue of the Scien- tifie Monthly ; and a short chapter on the same subject was published in a gen- eral account of the history and functions of the Department, in Miscellaneous Publication No. 88, revised. During the year a report on Cave Life in Kentucky, prepared in the Biological Survey in cooperation with the Kentucky State Geological Survey, was pub- BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 9 lished by the University Press, Notre Dame, Ind., reprinted from the American Midland Naturalist, to which the Bureau submitted it for publication in May 1933. ECONOMIC STUDIES OF WILDLIFE WILD-FOWL FOOD RESOURCES The shortage of eelgrass on the Atlantic seaboard and the consequent abrupt decrease in numbers of eastern-coast sea brant have engaged the attention of the Biological Survey for several years. While in some places the eelgrass is in a more serious condition than last year, it seems to show noticeable im- provement in a number of sections and a slight improvement over the major part of its range in the United States. Some areas, however, that formerly supported a dense growth of the plant are now almost completely denuded. In general, the best improvement is noted in areas of reduced salinity. The less technical aspects of this 3-year study are presented in an article in the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1934 (pp. 191-193), Helgrass Disappearance Has Serious Effects on Waterfowl and Industry. Starvation of waterfowl on the Atlantic coast was the subject of an investi- gation during February. Because of an unusually severe and extended period of cold and heavy freezes, it became necessary, in cooperation with State offi- cials, to undertake extensive feeding of waterfowl on Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River in Maryland and Virginia. Feeding also was done in other sections of the Northeastern States. Waterfowl food-resource surveys were made of most of the lakes in north- western Iowa, in coastal regions of Texas, and in parts of Oregon and Wash- ington. Experimental waterfowl-food plantings also were made in some of the fresh-water lakes and streams of the two States last named. The effect of drought upon waterfowl-food conditions was studied in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. It was urgently recom- mended that water be impounded where possible. Proposed bird-refuge areas in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina. New Mexico, Arizona, and Oregon were surveyed as to biological suitability for acquisition. Investigations and recommendations were made for the improve- ment of wild-fowl food resources on various Federal bird refuges in Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Nebraska, Utah, and California, and similar coopera- tive investigations were made of lakes on State refuges in Virginia and North Carolina. A survey was made of the present wildlife population, food resources, and probable effects of the creation of a proposed fresh-water lake of that part of Great Salt Lake, Utah, east of Antelope Island. The project was not recom- mended because of the inadequate and unstable water supply and the apparent probability that a serious outbreak of botulism, or western duck sickness, might result. Field studies were made of the relation of mosquito-control operations to waterfowl food plants in a number of marsh areas of the East. It is apparent that serious injury is being done to wildlife through mosquito-control work. A survey of waterfowl conditions and of baiting and other gunning practices undertaken at the request of the advisory board, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, occupied the attention of Bureau specialists for periods varying from 1 to 3 months. Practically every important gunning section was investigated. Notes on the abundance, distribution, and availability of waterfowl-food plants dur- ing the fall and winter were made and many data obtained on the present status of ducks and geese from the viewpoint of distribution, number, sex ratio, pro- portion of young to adults, and gunning practices. The report of this study, which was summarized for the board in a 17-page mimeographed circular, con- cluded that baiting as now practiced is not a conservation measure, but is employed in order to inerease the kill of waterfowl. Most species haye shown a noticeable decrease during the past 5 years. FIELD INVESTIGATIONS OF INJURIOUS BIRDS Studies in control methods and research on crop depredations by birds in California were continued, and special assistance was furnished by the State department of agriculture and county agricultural commissioners in coping with attacks by horned larks on beans and other vegetable crops, crows on sugar 88647—34——_2 10 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 beets and almonds, and linnets on figs and other fruit crops. In the case of blackbird damage to rice, cooperation was received not only from county officials as noted above but also from rice growers’ associations. The policy of the Bureau in this type of work, the need for which recurs annually, and a sum- mary of the effects of the control methods recommended, are embodied in an article prepared for the Yearbook of Agriculture, 1934, and published under the title “ Bird Species Not Menaced by Local Control Campaigns ” (pp. 149-152). Depredations on crops by migratory wild fowl are found to be serious in certain localities. Investigations were made in Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, California, Washington, and Oregon. Most of the damage was done to grain, though young hay crops were seriously injured in a few localities in Washington and Oregon. In Texas and New Mexico the sandhill crane, rather than waterfowl, appeared to be the chief offender. An investigation was begun to determine the biological relationship between predators, rodents, and quail on a Virginia game farm, and an annoying diurnal roosting of turkey vultures in the vicinity of Washington, D. C., was investi- gated and recommendation made for its removal. During May and June field investigations of crows in relation to nesting waterfowl were conducted in the Canadian prairie section, in the North Central States, and in Colorado. The most extensive of these concerned a single lake in the Canadian breeding area of Saskatchewan, where the damage by crows was found to be serious. Further investigations are planned, to learn the destructiveness under average conditions. Only slight damage by crows was discovered in the North Central States, and practically none by either crows or magpies was noted in the Colorado area. Because of the severity of the drought, however, the two areas last named supported few ducks or crows, so that the findings there were probably not representative of normal years. An investigation of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Lake Erie marshes of Ohio showed that skunks, crows, and brown rats were somewhat destructive to nesting waterfowl. LABORATORY WORK IN FOOD HABITS OF WILDLIFE A large part of the laboratory study of food habits of wildlife was carried on for States, institutions, or individuals. Workers in the Washington office examined 853 bird stomachs, 979 hawk and owl pellets, 10 lots of miscellaneous bird-food items, 517 mammal stomachs, and the feces of 1 amphibian and 3 reptiles. In the food habits research laboratory at Denver, Colo., the stomachs of 2,816 mammals were examined—2,735 coyotes, 37 bobcats, 28 bears, 15 armadillos, 3 mountain lions, 2 raccoons, and 1 fox. The project on the food habits and economic relationships of the fish-eating birds has been materially advanced; the stomachs of 77 ruffed grouse were examined; and a technical bulletin on the crested myna was prepared for pub- lication. A report on some early summer food preferences of the American raven in southeastern Oregon was published in an ornithological journal. In cooperation with the southwestern quail investigation, analyses were made of the stomach contents of 55 Gambel’s quail. For the cooperative project on the bobwhite in Wisconsin, 591 pellets of the great horned owl were examined. For the New England grouse investigation, the stomachs of 218 ruffed grouse and a series of raptors were studied, and the findings were published in a mimeographed leaflet (Bi-1297), Winter Food of the Ruffed Grouse in the Northeast. Mammal-stomach examinations to the number of 421 were made for Bureau ‘investigators, 37 additional fox stomachs were studied in the coopera- tive project with the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, and a study of the food habits of Connecticut fur bearers was initiated in coopera- tion with the State superintendent of fish and game. Many special examina- tions also were made for universities, other institutions, and individuals. All stomachs of diving ducks in the Survey collection have been examined, thus completing the laboratory work for a final report on the food habits of these birds. A report prepared for the American Society of Mammalogists, entitled ‘ Au- tumn Food Habits of Coyotes, A Report of Progress, 1932”, was published in that society’s journal in August, and was followed by a paper read at the society’s annual meeting on the Winter Food Habits of Coyotes, A Report of Progress, 1933. These present a summary of the findings thus far obtained. There were accessioned during the year 4,807 mammal stomachs, chiefly predators, and additions were made to the reference collections as convenience BUREAU OF BIOLOGICAL SURVEY 11 permitted or necessity required. Duplicate sets of part of the mammalian-hair slide collection were prepared, one for deposit in the Washington laboratory, and a series of drawings of mammalian hairs is being made for reference. As part of an economic study made in connection with waterfowl investiga- tions and white-necked raven depredations, 572 bird stomachs were analyzed in the Denver laboratory, and specimens of seeds and plants were collected and identified in the field work on waterfowl food and cover plants. The reference collections, so essential in all branches of food-habits investi- gations, were improved and added to during the year. The seed collection now contains 6,616 specimens of 4,553 species, representing 1,345 genera of plants most frequently taken as bird food. Additional drawings were prepared for a projected manual on wild-fowl foods, and many additions were made to the photographic file of native cold-blooded vertebrates, available for educa- tional purposes and for use in connection with proposed food-habits studies. The most tangible results of laboratory work on food habits, as always, are publications revised or newly issued. Two manifold leaflets for use in answer- ing correspondence, Publications on Cage Birds (Bi-173) and Dealers in Cage Birds and Cage-Bird Supplies (Bi-631), have been revised; and two more, Planting for Wildlife in the Corn Belt (Bi-1826) and Planting for Wildlife in the Cotton Belt (Bi-1327), were issued. The two last mentioned, together with Farmers’ Bulletin No, 1719, Improving the Farm Hnvironment for Wild Life,-are of special value both to farmers who have agreed to withdraw iand from growing competitive cash crops and to those living on land that is more or less submarginal. Winter Feeding of Wild Life on Northern Farms, issued in the Miscellaneous Publication series (no. 159), is a comprehensive treatment of the problem of providing wild birds and mammals, especially game species. with an adequate and reliable supply of food.