200 CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
 
 
MINN EAPOLIS,NIINNESOTA         V 
 
 
                                       U.S.A. 
JAMES F. BELL                   March 30, 19- 
                                           I19 
 
 
r. Aldo Leopold, 
niversity of Wisconsin, 
adison, Wisconsin. 
 
 
Dear Mr. Leopold: 
I write you uoon the recommendation of 
 
 
of the Carnegie Institution. 
 
For a number of years I have been doing some very 
interesting breeding experiments with wild ducks 
at Delta, Lake Manitoba. We have bred in captivity 
almost every type of wild duck known in this 
country, including the diving ducks and puddle 
ducks, and have succeeded in getting the puddle 
ducks to breed two and three times a year. I have 
a very good practical man but I want to get in 
touch with someone, scientifically trained, who is 
willing to go to such an isolated spot as Delta and 
help carry on this work. 
 
It is, I think, a very worth while project. We can 
develop our birds into maturity very rapidly; the 
difficulty is to keep the feathers apace with the 
growth of the birds. If we can only discover the 
combination of diet or lighting that will do this 
we shall have found something of advantage not only 
to ducks but to domestic fowl as well. 
 
The thing has real promise, but the man has to be 
a real enthusiast in order to see the possibilities 
and work toward them. 
 
If you can give me any advice I shall appreciate it. 
 
 
                          Yo   s very truly, 
 
 
 
 JFB B