Edward Howe Forbush was elected Ornithologist to the State Board of Agriculture in 1894, named State Ornithologist by the state board in 1908, and became director of the Division of Ornithology (Dept. of Agriculture) in 1919. Resolves 1921, c 5 authorized the publication of Birds of Massachusetts and Other New England States for the purpose of studying the economic value, geographical distribution, and life history of the birds of New England, with $8,000 allotted for color illustrations. Illustrations for the work were created by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, an American ornithologist and well-known artist, and, upon the death of Fuertes, by Allan Brooks, ornithologist and artist from Canada. Series consists of original watercolor and gouache paintings of local birds in their natural habitats. See also: Massachusetts. State Board of Agriculture. Edward Howe Forbush publications, 1907-1916 ((M-Ar)2597X).