2 
 
 
three years running. 1;oreover it would have to hit several times each year,
for 
the pheasant is persistent in renesting. 
 
The remaining possibilities are two: either the pheasant has become a cyclic

bird and is sharing the present low of the ten-ýyear cycle with the
grouse, or 
else something drastic and fundamental has destroyed the recuperative capacity

of the pheasant population. 
 
A heavy poPulation in western Wiew Yori collapsed in 1936, in tune with the

grouse, but has never recovered. This suggests that both of these conjectures

may be true. 
 
To sum up: the pheasant may be becoming cyclic in tune with grouse, but some

lows -ersist and suggest either a skipped high or a permnont recession. 
 
The Fox High. During the last three years Pn upsurge of foxes, nearly trans-

continental in scope, has occurred in the northern states. Both species aro

involved in various mixtures, but reds predominate in most states. The peak

population is now dying off, but in a spotty pattern. I say dying off because

dead foxes were dug out of their dens, and sick ones were caotured, at pupping

time this spring, by a Wisconsin research worker. 
 
Local upsurges of foxes have occurred before, but a transcontinental high
is 
either new in the United States, or else failed to be detected. A red fox

cycle of 10 year length is believed by some to have existed in Canada since

1900, but others do not construe the Canadian fhlctuations as a cycle. The

last two highs in the Canadian cycle (if there is one) have not coincided
with 
the grouse cycle, but have lagged behind it as the lynx lags behind the hare.

In Wisconsin grays dominated the high of 1935 and reds the high of 1944.

 
To sum up: a fox cycle common to the two species seems to be developing 
and moving southward.. 
 
Waterfowl Low. During the past two years a sudden drop has occurred in all

ducks except those of tho Pacificcoast, and perhaps also in coot., The drop
is 
especially severe in the black duck, which br'eeds in the ;aritime Provinces

where no drouth or botulism exists. Ovrshooting is the only visible cause
for 
the decline in ducks, but there is no Visible cause for the sudden decline
in 
coot. 
 
It seems premature to postulate a:wterfowl cycle, but there is a bare possi-

bility that one is developing; it seems no more improbable than a pheasant
cycle 
would have seemed in 1942. 
 
Prairie Grouse. One oQf the most baffling recent population behaviors is
that 
of the prairie grouse (Pinnated and Sha:,'ptailed) in thei'Lake, States.
This is 
a zone of overlap between the two s%'cies. The main range of the sharptail
lies 
to the northwest, where it is normally cyclic. The main range of the pinnate
is 
to the south, where it is now too scarce to give a clear record.. 
 
Both species have been invading the cutovers of the Ike States, the sharp-

tail moving eastward and the prairie chicken northward. Within this new range