THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING 
                              LARAMIE, WYOMING 
                                mýay 2, 19 34 
 
 
 
 
 
 Professor _d.lco Leopold 
 College of .Friculture 
 Uiiversity of "isconsin 
 adi son, /isconsin 
 
 Dear Dr. ieopold: 
 
      Your letter of April 2Z and prospectus enclosed was received a few
days 
 ago. I have looked over the outline for tae proposed study of the sau e
hln 
 with a great deal of interest. It shows a_ excellent grasp of the main 
 features of the proble a. 
 
      Vihile in Chicago, I was inqpressed by the deep interest in this proble
a 
 shown by yourself, by "'ir. S. B. Locke, Gonservation Director of the
Izaak 
 'a ton League of Aaerica, by .r. Jeth Gordon, iresi cnt of the aserican
Ga e 
 Protective Association, by 14r. Tholias h. 3eclz, Chair.an of iresident
:aooseveltts 
 Wiild Life Coimaittee, and others at the Convention. hhile I had no conver-

 sation with hti on the subject, from his public utterances I believe ."r.

 J. L. Darling, Chief of the U. S. B3iological Survey, would also be greatly

 interested in the sage hen as a conservation and research problem. idr.

 Locke also informs me that Dr. iverriam, of -the ational ihesearch Council

 is inter sted in the iroble i. 
 
     There is no doubt about the importance of the work both from a practical,

 or conservation, and a scientific point of view. The present status of the

 sage hen in Wyoming: The numbers and range of this species in .yoing is

 shrinking rather rapidly.  *room all accounts I believe that ther are not

 one-fifth as many sage chickens in the state as there we!:e twenty years
ago. 
 ýýgreeing with the statements in your outline, the principal
causes for this 
 shrinkage in syoiing appear to be over-shooting, over-grazing of parts of

 their range, and diseases (coccidiosis has caused heavy losses in Central

 Nyoainj during, the last two years, under circumsstances suggesting that
it 
 originated froi poultry). ýt the present rate, in twenty years more
there 
 will probably be only a few scattered birds left. 
 
     ihen in Chicago, I proiised after receiving your prospectus to giVe
you 
an opinion as to the possibilities of unoertaking this work in .iyoning.

Ther: are still a good iany places in Wyoeming where the birds are fairly

abundant. ko a that point of view the University of Wayoming would be a 
good place to undertake the work, but before doing this an orientation 
survey is needed. Such a survey would require considerable travel and some

expense. However, there is no one one organization in the state that is 
prepared at this timie to undertake a thorough-going orientation survey.

heither the local chapter nor the State Division of the I.W.L.A. has the