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Riochemistry and Wildlife Pathology Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Md. The 

 Laboratory, erected in 1962, was dedicated on April 25, 1963, by Secretary of the Interior, Stewart L. Udall. It 

 is the first Federal building designed specifically for research in pesticide-wildlife relations, including its patho- 

 logical aspects. (Photo by F. C. Schmid ) 



waterfowl banding totaled over 230,000. This is a 

 decrease of about 13 percent from 1961 when about 

 264,000 were banded. A total of 37,523 bands were 

 recovered and reported to the record center dur- 

 ing the year, 4.2 percent less than during the pre- 

 vious year. The decreases are attributed to severe 

 drought on key nesting areas which reduced the 

 continental supply of waterfowl. 



Pocket gopher hurroio-hiiilder icidely ac- 

 cepted. — Various models of the burrow-builder — 

 a machine for dispensing pocket -gopher baits 

 underground — developed jointly by the Bureau's 

 Denver Wildlife Research Center and Colorado 

 State LTniversity, are now available from com- 

 mercial sources. In nearly every western and 

 high-plains State, acceptance of the burrow- 

 builder as an aid in pocket-gopher control has 

 been widespread and enthusiastic. Its success is 

 indicated by the following comments, chosen at 

 random from the large number received. 



Oklahoiiia-Kansa.s District : It has been estiiiiate<l by 

 peanut growers that the pocliet gopher control demonstra- 

 tions in their fields resulted in a saving of $17-.$20 per 

 acre. 



Oregon District: The iwcket gopher burrow-builder has 

 proven to be a boon to the agricultural interests with 

 pocket gopher problems. 



ToxlcoJogical Hfudien and pen. tests. — Feeding 

 tests, in which captive birds and mammals are 

 given access to diets containing known amounts of 

 pesticides, offer rapid and dependable means for 

 determining relative hazards of the various com- 

 pounds to wildlife. More than 500 such tests in- 

 volving 42 insecticides and herbicides were made at 

 the Patuxent "Wildlife Research Center, using co- 

 turnix and bobwhite quail, ring-necked pheasants, 

 mallard ducks, red-winged blackbirds, cowbirds, 

 grackles, herring gulls, and starlings as test sub- 

 jects. Objectives of these studies were to deter- 

 mine (1) quantities of pesticides in diets required 

 to produce 50-percent mortality in 10 days (acute 

 poisoning), (2) quantities required to produce 

 chronic poisoning resulting in 5()-perceiit mortal- 

 ity after the tenth day, and (3) effects of sublethal 

 exposure on growth aiid/oi' reproduction. Data 

 from these studies have been smnmarized in Cir- 

 cular 167, Pesticides Wildlife Relations: Review 

 of Investigations During 1961 and 1962. 



Aid to the Pres/dent'.^ Coaneil on Science and 

 Technology. — Dr. John L. Buckley, Director of 

 the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, was de- 

 tailed from among the many Federal agencies con- 

 cerned with pesticides to serve as consultant on 



