Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1908 [PAGE 421]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

1907J

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

393

9. Mr. Charles E. S a r g e n t h a s p r e s e n t e d t o t h e U n i v e r s i t y a g a s e n g i n e possessing more t h a n o r d i n a r y value. T h e University w i l l h a v e t o supply a f o u n d a t i o n for t h e e n g i n e a n d w i l l p r o b a b l y h a v e t o m e e t t h e cost of t r a n s p o r t a t i o n . T h e Dean of t h e College of E n g i n e r i n g r e c o m m e n d s t h a t t h i s gift be accepted a n d t h a t t h e T r u s t e e s express t h e i r appreciation t h e r e f o r e t o Dr. Charles E. S a r g e n t .

Voted on motion of Mrs. Alexander that the gift be accepted and that the secretary of the board write a formal letter of acknowledgment to Mr. Sargent.

LABORATORY OF N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y . 10. T h e r e p o r t of t h e Director of t h e S t a t e L a b o r a t o r y of N a t u r a l H i s t o r y .

U R B A N A , I L L I N O I S , D E C E M B E R 9, 1907,

To the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois: T h e w o r k of t h e S t a t e L a b o r a t o r y of N a t u r a l H i s t o r y in progress a t t h e p r e s e n t t i m e comprises t h e e l a b o r a t i o n a n d discussion of t h e d a t a of a y e a r ' s continuous s t a t i s t i c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e b i r d life of t h e S t a t e ; a s t u d y of t h e m a m m a l s of t h e S t a t e , t o w h i c h t h e t i m e of one a s s i s t a n t is devoted; t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of a list of t h e Orthoptera of t h e S t a t e , n o w n e a r l y completed; t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of a r e p o r t on t h e d i s t r i b u t i o n of Illinois fishes; t h e p u b l i c a t i o n of a second r e p o r t on t h e p l a n k t o n of t h e Illinois a n d i t s adjacent w a t e r s , n o w i n process of p r i n t i n g , a n d t h e collection a n d p r e p a r a t i o n of economic insects for d i s t r i b u t i o n to t h e public schools. T w o a s s i s t a n t s , Mr. A. O. Gross a n d Mr. H. A. Ray, e n g a g e d for t h e y e a r e n d i n g A u g u s t 23, 1907, in t h e collection of n u m e r i c a l d a t a for a d e t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e a v e r a g e b i r d p o p u l a t i o n of t h e S t a t e , t r a v e l e d on foot 1,592 miles, a n d recognized a n d listed 30,570 b i r d s b e l o n g i n g to 157 species, t h e a c t u a l b i r d p o p u l a t i o n of 44.24 s q u a r e miles. T h i s w a s a n a v e r a g e for t h e y e a r of 691 b i r d s p e r s q u a r e mile for t h e w h o l e S t a t e , e q u i v a l e n t t o a p o p u l a t i o n in Illinois of a b o u t 39,000,000 birds. T h e s e observers crossed t h e S t a t e four t i m e s in t h e course 'of t h e i r observations, once in n o r t h e r n , t w i c e in c e n t r a l , a n d once in s o u t h e r n Illinois, a n d travelled t h e g r e a t e r p a r t of i t s l e n g t h t h r e e t i m e s , once t h r o u g h t h e c e n t e r of t h e S t a t e a n d once each on i t s e a s t e r n a n d w e s t e r n b o r d e r s . T h e y also s p e n t t h e t h r e e s u m m e r m o n t h s in local t r a v e l a n d o b s e r v a t i o n in t h e t h r e e divisions of t h e S t a t e - n o r t h e r n , c e n t r a l a n d s o u t h e r n , for a d e t e r m i n a t i o n a n d e n u m e r a t i o n of t h e s u m m e r r e s i d e n t birds. I a m n o w concluding a p a p e r g i v i n g t h e r e s u l t s of t h e s e mid-summer observ a t i o n s ; a n d w e h a v e n e a r l y completed t h e m a t h e m a t i c a l w o r k for t h e d a t a of t h e e n t i r e y e a r . x Mr. F . E. Wood, e n g a g e d i n a s t u d y of Illinois m a m m a l s , m a d e a special i n v e s t i g a t i o n l a s t s p r i n g of t h e d a m a g e done b y moles t o n e w l y p l a n t e d corn n e a r Jacksonville, collecting m a t e r i a l for a d e t e r m i n a t i o n of t h e a c t u a l food of t h e s e a n i m a l s , a n d s t u d y i n g t h e i r h a b i t s a n d o p e r a t i o n s in t h e field. H e h a s also done extensive collecting w o r k in Champaign a n d adjacent counties, a n d h a s m a d e t r i p s to t h e peculiar s a n d y r e g i o n of Mason c o u n t y a n d to t h e e x t r e m e l a k e r e g i o n of n o r t h e r n Illinois. H e will g o , d u r i n g t h e w i n t e r , t o e x t r e m e s o u t h e r n Illinois for a collection a n d s t u d y of t h e m a m m a l s of t h a t district. H e h a s p r e p a r e d m a n y skins a n d o t h e r specimens of all t h e species e n c o u n t e r e d , a n d h a s t h o r o u g h l y indexed t h e l i t e r a t u r e of his subject for convenient reference. I h a v e completed t h i s fall, a n d h a v e r e a d y for publication, a p a p e r on t h e g e n e r a l a n d local d i s t r i b u t i o n of Illinois fishes, c o n t a i n i n g t h e r e s u l t s of a careful analysis of our collections m a d e d u r i n g t h e l a s t t h i r t y y e a r s . T h e d i s t r i b u t i o n of each species in t h e S t a t e h a s b e e n a c c u r a t e l y mapped, a n d t h e different sections a n d river systems of t h e S t a t e , a n d i t s different geological a r e a s , h a v e b e e n b r o u g h t i n t o comparison w i t h each o t h e r in respect t o t h e i r fish population. T h e Illinois species h a v e likewise b e e n compared a n d classified w i t h reference t o t h e i r d i s t r i b u t i o n outside of t h e S t a t e i n a w a y t o s h o w