INTRODUCTION 
John W. Aldrich 
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
Management of certain migratory gamebirds has benefitted probably 
more in 1951 than in any previous year from the efforts of many people 
to obtain quantitative data on the abundance of these species. For a 
number of years Howard L. Mendall (since 1936) at the University of 
Maine and P, F, English at Pennsylvania State College have organized 
woodcock-breeding-ground counts in the Eastern States. This year 
these counts totaled 61 in the northeastern states, and 2 in the 
central Eastern States. Woodcock-breeding-ground counts have also 
been carried on for a number of years in Canada, under the direction 
of the Canadian Wildlife Service and Provincial Game Departments. 
This year there were 32 counts in Ontario and the Maritime Provinces. 
These counts were compiled by Victor E. F. Solman. 
Except for the work of William T. Marshall at the University of 
Minnesota and Robert A. McCabe at the University of Wisconsin, the 
important woodcock-breeding areas in the central Northern States have 
been largely uninvestigated up to this year. In 1951, six breeding- 
ground counts were initiated in Minnesota and twelve in Michigan 
through the cooperation of the game departments and individuals of 
those States. 
The most significant basic research on woodcock during the year 
seems to have been that of William G. Sheldon of the Massachusetts 
Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit. This investigation of breeding 
behavior, by means of banding, indicated the need for a larger number 
of trips than the customary three in making singing-ground counts and 
particularly the desirability of making these trips as late as possible 
during the breeding season, even including the hatching period, to get 
amore accurate index to the abundance of breeding birds. 
We are pleased to be able to report an increase in efforts to 
obtain quantitative data on the Wilson's Snipe. Nine breeding-ground 
counts were made in Minnesota by representatives of the game depart- 
ment of that State, and for the first time breeding counts were made . 
in Idaho--two by Thomas D. Burleigh. Chandler S. Robbins has been 
assigned by the Fish and Wildlife Service to assemble data and con- 
duct research on the snipe in the United States. 
