This study reports on the courses in biological sciences offered in public high schools, enrollments in the course in general biology, number of teachers of general biology, organization of the course, nature of the laboratory work, laboratory and supplementary facilities, the equipment used in teaching the course, appropriations for equipment and supplies, and innovations and problems related to the teaching of general biology. The findings in this study are based on returns from 786 public high schools, exclusive of separately administered junior high schools, and are for the school year 1949-50. These schools constituted 73.3 percent of the 1,072 schools in the sample, and 3.7 percent of the public high schools of the continental United States. The sample was selected from 21,300 junior-senior, senior, regular, and undivided high schools. The information summarized in this report should prove useful not only to professional educators, such as teachers, administrators, and members of curriculum committees, but also to those who are concerned with the planning of "functional" school facilities and with furnishing essential equipment and supplies for use in the instructional program. (Contains 33 tables and 2 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.]