Plans are to make this station the Aerican counterpart of 
the 1elta Duck Station of Canada and to act in close cooperation with 
the Delta Duck Station In important problems that can best be solved 
throuh the joint efforts of these two stations 
 
 
             Tentative Outline for Proposed Studies 
                      Re arin_ pe ri~e 
 
7,ood Duck1s 
 
          Life history and management studies of this species lhave 
been conducted over a three year period by the Nlatural history Survey, 
but certain problems remain unsolved. There remains the need to coin- 
plete the embryo series showin- rate of development in the embryo, 
and the need to complete the duckling series showing the development 
rate in young ducks. The rate of developlment in ducklings raised at 
the Bright Land Farm will be compared with those raised at the Delta 
Duck Station to determine the effect, if any, of the longer daylight 
hours in the north. 
 
          Two problems related to ma&naement will be studied at the 
Bright Land Farm:   (1) the feasibility of raising wood ducks in cap- 
tivity for restocki-ng new areas; (2) the behavior of pen reared wood 
duc's following release with the qfuestion  in mind, will young wood 
ducks raised in captivity migrate normally and return to breed the 
following year to the rang-e on which they were raised? The problems 
will be studied through barndin  and through the erection of nesting 
boxes. Di,,rin  the winter months, the wood duck flock now housed at 
the Bright Land Farm will be subjected to artificial lightin7 to 
determine how rapidly the blrd will reach breeding condition. 
 
Mallards 
 
           Thich basic information needed in the sound management of 
 Illinois' most important duck cannot be found in the literature con- 
 cernin, this species. Most of the hand-reared mallards banded and 
 released in the country h-ve demonstrated that pen rearinG of this 
 species is not feasible. Hllowever, similar efforts of the Delta Duck 
 Station in Canada have yielded excellent results (as measured in 
 terms of bandiný returns). The difference in success between these

 two instances very definitely appears to be attributi  to differences 
 in rearLnu tochniques for mallards. Most important seems to be the 
 selection of high class, wild mallard breeding stock rather than mon- 
 grel mallard stock usually used in rearing attempts to date. As a 
 corollary to this central theme is the need to study the rate and 
 mechanics of degeneration in wild allaeeding stock. A morea&j 
 detailed outline of the mallard studies    given            in    s 
 report. It is important tht the semidomestic mallard stock now 
 resident on the farm be thoroughly culled.