<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 12/31/98
000 C000000 0000811858
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 DREYFUS U.S. TREASURY SHORT TERM FUND
001 B000000 811-5077
001 C000000 2129226822
002 A000000 200 PARK AVENUE
002 B000000 NEW YORK
002 C000000 NY
002 D010000 10166
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
015 A000001 MELLON BANK, N.A.
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 PITTSBURGH
015 C020001 PA
015 C030001 15258
015 E030001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 163
019 C000000 DREYFUSFAM
022 A000001 HSBC JAMES CAPEL SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000001 13-2650272
022 C000001 1837582
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000002 13-5674085
022 C000002 693699
022 D000002 658955
022 A000003 G.X. CLARKE & CO.
022 B000003 13-2969143
022 C000003 253039
022 D000003 286549
022 A000004 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000004 13-5108880
022 C000004 157412
022 D000004 266548
022 A000005 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000005 13-2518466
022 C000005 128947
<PAGE> PAGE 2
022 D000005 92389
022 A000006 DEUTSCHE BANK SECURITIES CORPORATION
022 B000006 13-2730828
022 C000006 89215
022 D000006 96325
022 A000007 CS FIRST BOSTON CORPORATION
022 B000007 13-5659485
022 C000007 67555
022 D000007 78814
022 A000008 PAINEWEBBER INCORPORATED
022 B000008 13-2638166
022 C000008 87585
022 D000008 38367
022 A000009 GREENWICH PARTNERS, INC.
022 B000009 13-3176013
022 C000009 68304
022 D000009 55349
022 A000010 SALOMON SMITH BARNEY
022 B000010 13-1912900
022 C000010 19780
022 D000010 70470
023 C000000 3555123
023 D000000 1691718
028 A010000 3207
028 A020000 663
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 12898
028 B010000 5696
028 B020000 683
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 4095
028 C010000 12743
028 C020000 698
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 4098
028 D010000 13687
028 D020000 752
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 11759
028 E010000 3968
028 E020000 790
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 5767
028 F010000 3595
028 F020000 793
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 9531
028 G010000 42896
028 G020000 4379
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 48148
<PAGE> PAGE 3
028 H000000 0
030 A000000 0
030 B000000 0.00
030 C000000 0.00
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 Y
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
054 O000000 Y
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.7
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 81.6
062 N000000 15.2
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 2.7
064 A000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 N
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 N
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 N
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 1370396
071 B000000 1405169
071 C000000 177212
071 D000000 773
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 12637
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1131
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 463
072 J000000 18
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 22
072 M000000 40
072 N000000 31
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
072 R000000 24
072 S000000 22
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 5
072 X000000 1756
072 Y000000 259
072 Z000000 11140
072AA000000 3472
072BB000000 2639
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 809
072DD010000 11140
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.8738
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 958
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 181346
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 4009
074 M000000 8
074 N000000 186321
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 72
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 341
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 185908
074 U010000 12576
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 14.78
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 4430
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 188545
<PAGE> PAGE 6
075 B000000 0
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
080 A000000 VIGILANTE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE
080 C000000 125
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 182
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE MICHAEL PETRUCELLI
TITLE ASSISTANT TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000811858
<NAME> DREYFUS U.S. TREASURY SHORT TERM FUND
<MULTIPLIER> 1000
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1998
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 182530
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 181346
<RECEIVABLES> 4967
<ASSETS-OTHER> 8
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 186321
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 413
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 413
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 202548
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 12576
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 22090
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (15455)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (1185)
<NET-ASSETS> 185908
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 12637
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 1497
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 11140
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 833
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (809)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 11164
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (11140)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 4201
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (5463)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 604
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (9490)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (16288)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 1131
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 1756
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 188545
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 14.77
<PER-SHARE-NII> .87
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .01
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.87)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> .00
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 14.78
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .008
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>