July 20, 1932 
 
 
                        A PROPOSED STUDY OF TH 
 
Premises. 
 
     1. Barring the turkey and the pronghorn, the sagehen is one of the most

 
distinctive American gme species. 
 
     2. Barring certain rare waterfowl, no other species is in equal danger
of 
 
being reduced beyond the point of ready recovery. 
      73 Except for the self-evident need for curtailing shooting, less is
known 
 
about how to conserve sagehens than any other species of game. The species
has 
 
been labelled, bat never studied in any particular of its life history. Research

 
is needed. 
 
     4. Not being a migratory bird, the states must take first responsibility

 
for saving the sagehen, but there are thirteen states involved. Thirteen
researches 
 
are impossible, but one coordinated joint effort is possible and necessary.

 
      5. Some national organization should attewpt to organize such a study
as a 
 
 contribution to both conservation and science. 
 
 Status 
 
      The map shows the original range and the larger blocks of kmown present

 
 range. Such radical shrinkage in range is alone grounds for apprehension.

 
      The states allowing an open season are indicated by hatching. 
 
 Need of Research 
 
      The need for research is even more pressing in this species than in
other 
 
 game birds by reason of the following circumstances: 
 
      1. The sagehen is probably cyclic, but no one is sure. Parker has just

 
 found tularemia in saehens. Until we know what class of population curve
the 
 
 species should exhibit, we cannot appraise the meaning of observed changes
in the 
 
 bird' s abundance.