GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT 
    D. C. SIMONS                STATE OF NISSOURI                  .Oo.co'LE

    COMMISSIONER 
                                                                   CHIEF
CLERK 
                                JEFFERSON CITY 
                                S2 
 
     The point that makes it harder in this survey is the fact -that the
parties 
     finding these Quail merely let them lay and when I could get to them
they wer 
     practiacly distroyed. 
 
     I find in dead birds the sex are as near e u4s can be determined without

     knowing how the covey was divided to begin e     realy think one sex
as hardy as 
     the other. 
 
V    The Starve- birds or frozen weighed about one half their normal weight
3.1 to 
    4 Ounces. Eintire absence of any thing in their Crop. In about 537 of
the cases but 
    little if any grit in the Gizzard, In some cases Fox Tail seed in t1D
Tizzard 
    in a perfectly whole condition and other hard seeds in some of the Gizzards
in 
    the same condition. Sumac seed for instance. 
 
    I havent found any birds that have died since it oegan to thaw about
Sunday,but 
    there are many of, them that are so weak that they are an easy prey t
o any kind of 
    an enemy. They are gaining repidly,while it is colder this morning,but
the sun is 
    shining and the people are aroused and are feeding as never before,but
of course 
    their zeal came to late for thousands of birds, 
 
    My conclusions are, ( whether w orth any thing or not) that with feeding
10 
    days earlier by all the sportsmen would have saved 501 of the birds that
died 
    and the thing for Conservationists to do is to let the people know that
there is 
    always danger in a sleet storm for they are so apt to be followed bu
continued snow 
    and cold, 'hat the greatest mortality was on farms and sections where
no hunting 
    was allowed, This is not from predudice as I am glad there  are people
that mantain 
    refuges all over the country,but I find that where they wer not molested
they wer 
    caught out in the open fields and where they had been persued a great
deal they 
    wer in the brushy places and woods where they could get a way from the
Gunn. 
 
    I will say that thru the best part of the State for quail in most of
the sections 
    there are now as mm y _uail left as usual and I am sure that all observers
will 
    indorse the statement tnat not for years if ever wer there more Quail
left over 
    when the season closed,than onDec, 31/29 
 
    iafhen the Sportsmen and Conservationists learn there is somet'ing more
for them 
    to do than to merely buy a license and then go out and kill during the
open season 
    and then forget it we will get some where with conservation. 
 
    If there is any thing in this letter worth while that you want to use
reduce it 
    to its proper form and use it. Hoping that our very pleasant visits will
be renewed 
    in the future,that I may be able to absorbe more of the information you
have for 
    those that are realy seeking it I beg to remain 
 
                                        Sincerely Yours