increasing use of some of the refuges on impoundments of the Tennessee 
Valley Authority. For example, during the fall flight an estimated 12,000 
ducks and geese came to the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge in northern Alabama, 
More than 6,000 of these stayed throughout the winter, feeding in the 
marginal purple-top grass (Panicum agrostoides), wild millet, cut grass, 
and smartweeds, Most of these birds were shoal-water ducks, as mallards, 
black ducks, pintails, etc., but an interesting element of the concentra- 
tion was a flock of about 600 hooded hergansers. The manager estimated 
that at least 20,000 ducks and geese made extensive use of the refuge 
during the spring migration of 1941. 
January Inventory 
The seventh consecutive January inventory of migratory waterfowl was 
the first to be conducted under a reorganization whereby the nine regions 
of previous years was reduced to five. This resulted in realignment of 
states and reassignment of personnel. As is so frequently the case in 
Jamary, climatic conditions were adverse in many sections causing post— 
ponements and delays in completing some of the aerial operations. 
As usual, splendid cooperation was available from the Army Air Corps, 
the Naval Air Service, the Coast Guard, a commercial tire and rubber 
company, the Soil Conservation Service, Forest Service, National Park 
Service, State Gane and Fish, forestry, and police departments, colleges, 
universities, and others. 
While it is questionable that coverage of the waterfowl areas in these 
inventories will ever be complete, it is nevertheless believed that the 
work is so carefully planned and organized that a better than average 
sampling is the result. Many areas of exceptional importance are inspected 
both from the ground and from the air. Although by no means infallible, 
the method employed for making reasonably accurate estimates has had the 
benefit of tests by aerial photography and it has been of proved value, 
particularly when used each year by the same observer on the same area. 
The hunting regulations in effect during the fall represented a con- 
siderable liberalization and it was known that despite many "bluebird deys" 
in all three zones, the total kill had been heavy. Investigations also had 
shown that there was a great reduction in-the number of birds that had 
passed into Mexico to winter, which meant that nearly all of the contin- 
ental population was in the United States at the time the inventory was. 
made. With these facts in mind the results were awaited with some anxiety. 
When the data were fully assembled and analyzed it was calculated that 
there were about 70,000,000 ducks and geese on the North American continent. 
This represented a gain of about 5,000,000 over the estimate resulting from 
the 1940 inventory. It was the smallest increase since the inauguration of 
the restoration program. While there is cause for mech satisfaction that 
there was an increase, nevertheless, and despite the increased size of the 
breeding stock, it is apparent that the harvest of 1940 was perilously close 
to the entire crop. 
