OXFORD UNIVERSITY 
                 DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY 
 
                                                                Address:
UNIVERSITY MUSEUM 
                                                                      OXFORD

                                      - " 2-                    Telehhote:
OXFORD 4261 
BUREAU OF ANIMAL POPULATION                                     Telegrams:
MUS, OXFORD 
 
 
 
         have been astonished at the ignorance which prevails on all game
ani- 
         mals, in fakt on all wild animals in this country.   Sportsmen have

         been shooting partridges for hundreds of years but they still do
not 
         know what the bird eats or how many partridges can be kept on an
acre 
         of land. 
 
                     On this point, I would like to warn you against placing
any 
         reiance on British books or literature regarding game, because mostce

         the writings about game are by sportsmen who merely air their own
opi- 
         nions and impressions, and are very liable to make an impression
appear 
         to be a fact.   The only work on which a certain amount of reliance
can 
         be placed is the grouse disease report published by the Commnittee
in 
         1911, with which of course you are familiar.   I notice that you
have 
         frequently referred to Maxwellts work.   I think we shall find after

         scientific investigation, that a lot of his statements are entirely

         without foundation.   I mention this because I think it is possible
that 
         you may accept the writings of people like Maxwell, Portal, Page,
Eric 
         Parker and others, as scientific authorities; they are not. Incidentally

         the recent report on partridge disease by Portal, Collinge and the
Com- 
         mittee contains definite statements about the life history of the

         Strongyle worm, Trichostrongylus tenuis, (the apparent cause of
disease 
         in partridges), which are not founded on proved facts.   Collinge
did nU 
         elucidate the life history of the worm as he said he has done, and
it is 
         still uncertain.   I am collaborating with Professor Leiper on parasito-

         l6gical studies, and he hready has this strongyle worn's life history

         under observation, so the who&6 thing should be cleaned up during
the 
         next month or two, but do not accept Collingets version for the
moment. 
 
                     Also,I gather that you think the British "me Preservers

         have made a great success of game management, but after spending
six 
         months more or less constantly on some of the best managed estates
in 
         this country, I have come to the conclusion that game management
is 
         really very inefficient and not by any means a scientific practise,
and 
         that it could be improved on the basis of real knowledge,as opposed
to 
         supposition and tradition, to quite double the normal game population
of 
         this country.   Even the best game-keepers who do occasionally get
very 
         good results through the management of partridges, grouse and pheasants,

         do not themselves understand y.i they get.these results.  In nine
cases 
         ýout of ten, excessive production of game *s due more to
the local condi- 
         tions-of agriculture, soil, cover, climate, etc. than to the game
manage-