obtained increased cooperation in an attempt at winter inventory in 
the southern states. He also analyzed winter abundance data on snipe 
from Christmas Bird Counts, published in Audubon Field Notes magazine 
for the past 5 years. Up to the present time these represent 
practically all of the actual quantitative data available on winter 
abundance of this species. 
Cooperative breeding ground counts of Wilson's Snipe were con- 
tinued this year in a few Canadian provinces and northern states. 
Chandler S,. Robbins made life history studies of snipe in Ontario 
which are expected to aid development of methods of making breeding 
ground inventories of this species, Thomas D. Burleigh continued his 
snipe breeding ground investigations at Grays Lake, Idaho. 
Population studies on the Clapper Rail were made by Robert E. 
Stewart at Chincoteague, Virginia. 
The general conclusions to be drawn from investigations this 
year are: that neither the Woodcock nor the Wilson's Snipe have 
changed materially their over-all population status in the last few 
years; that devising wintering ground inventory methods for both 
species is beset by the difficulty of sampling a population which 
winters in different places in different years, depending on moisture 
conditions; that the timing of breeding ground inventories of Wilson's 
Snipe must be later than previously supposed to avoid counting migrant 
birds; that neither the time of day nor the calendar time best for 
censusing woodcock is suitable for censusing snipe; and that the move- 
ment of woodcock from one singing ground to another may be greater than 
previously supposed and would enter an important variable to be con- 
sidered in interpreting the inventory data. 
