3227>+ 



The national report on the 19^2 spring migration contained 38 records 

 of increase, 119 of no change, and 55 of decrease, obviously reflecting 

 an unsatisfactory condition in its numerical status. The fall check 

 indicated a slight improvement with 37 reports of increase, 90 of no 

 change, and k9 of decrease. 



J. Dewey Sooer in one of his 19^42 reports on the status of migratory 

 game "birds in the Prairie Provinces stated "I believe they should be 

 accorded universal protection for a number of years. Other waders are 

 doing well, while this one species is subjected year after year to a drain 

 on its numbers at the hands of hunters. In my opinion, this cannot be 

 continued indefinitely." With our present knowledge, protection is the 

 chief management step that can be taken but it is believed that the com- ■ 

 plete solution to the problem involves more than the closing of the hunt- 

 ing season. 



Mr. Smith in his 19H2 fall migration report stated that while he saw 

 very few on the upper Mississippi River, they were quite abundant on the 

 Louisiana coast but not, he adds, as abundant as they had been four years 

 previously, when he was last in that district. The only reports of real 

 abundance came from Louisiana and Florida. 



Rails and Coots 



It is not necessary at this time to go into details regarding these 

 birds for the reason that they are of interest to relatively few. sports- 

 men. 



Both the spring and fall national reports for 19^2 showed that the Coot 

 continued to increase while little if any change was recorded for the different 

 species of rails. 



Mourning Dove 



The 19^2 spring report on the status of all migratory game birds indicated 

 little change in that of the Mourning Dove. The breeding season for that year 

 was, however, fairly satisfactory over a large part of the range so that when 

 the fall report was compiled, for the first time in two years, the figures 

 obtained indicated that a change for the better was in progress. While it was 

 obvious that more than a single nesting season would be required to effect full 

 recovery, it was nevertheless highly gratifying to note that it would not be 

 necessary to take the drastic protective action that was seriously contemplated 

 in the spring of 19^2, 



White-winged Dove 



Because of the urgency of the war fisheries program, the location of his 

 headquarters, and his special qualifications, it became necessary to assign Dr. 

 G-eorgeB-. Saunders, Biologist of the Central Flyway, to part time duty with 



10 



