Delta ,Manitoba 
                                              Jan 21,1944. 
 
Dear A.L , 
 
       I had been hoping I could get into Winnipeg wben I could find out,

casually, something about D.U.'s plan5, but I won't make it until we get

a change in the weather. However, I have no doubt that if Bill wrote 
to Tom and to td I-m what he wanted to do, Tom would back him. The only 
question, whidhC-'ill could answer, would be whether he wanted to work 
for Tom; he would have to resign himself to Tom's publicity which is all-

inclusive and getting bigger end "better" every day. 
      I thought that Bill 'ies still hitclbed to the I..F.S. tnd planning
to 
go back with them. And I'm sorry to bear that Cottemn hsn't funds to 
support the work he want's to do. While I don't know what plans Bill 
has for up north, I frankly think it would be a shame for him to put in 
his time in work such as arctic studies wherTthe number of hours(and years)

pile up so high for the vtount of material gained. Thet, of opumse, 
ir re2tive, in Bill' cIseo WTht I mean is, thet 'iAtI 1is background 
he can do pioneering work right at borne, elmost anywhere where he could

have birds to work with, And a year at that would put him way iheud of 
a year in the north where, until the planes get back, a fellow must spend

half of his time getting in end out and taking care of himself. 
      You mention the work with casterat~d Black Ducks. Why confine it 
to Black Ducks or to this onp i'olated item for study. Tde whole businept

of the change in plumage Is almost untouched. I don't mpen "plumage

rtudies" as Pirnie proposed them for Delta. I mean finding out the truth

behind the plumage change. We gave our Canvasbacks and wood ducks light 
in winter. They never bred, or even paired off. But when we turned off 
the lights in April thoy rent into eclipse way ahead of time. Why? 
What determines the time of the wing molt in brood hens? Do they 
abandon their beowds because they have to go away and molt or can't they

molt while still broody. There are dozens of questions, rore related to 
pratical management, some not, but an understanding of vrbat happwns to 
a duck before, during and after the molt is unknown and important. 
Simultaneous work with casterations, manipulation of light and with hormones

would give the answer. And before, whenever any such wrork has been tackled

there has seldom been more than one objective or more thr-n ore method of

study. Follow all changes together, particularly behavior, and in three 
or four years we would know a hell of a lot more about ducks than we do 
now, 
       The damdest thing about the status of wildlife research today is 
evidenced by the feeling, as you yourself mentioned in your letter, that

a study is not worth supporting unless it leads to practical applicarionl

As long as that feeling persiste there are a lot of valuable management 
items that are not going to be uncovered. I cen see lo the Illinois N. 
HoSoreports that they probably would not support projects ubhmbm where 
the definite practical end could not be forseen, and it may be that way 
with the F°WoL.S, It seems funny when one reads of all the money ikatp

they have for post-war wildlife work that they should say right off the 
bat that there are not the funds to support a particular piece of work. 
 
       At Delta whata can be done and what would like to be done are two

different thinge0 By the time the war is over the budget will be suffucien*