Irven O. Buss

Past and Present Status of the Elephant in Uganda

Since 1925, when the Elephant Control Department of Uganda broadened its objectives and became the Game and Fisheries Department, various statistical data and field observations pertaining to the elephant (Loxodonta africana) have been reported and published in its Annual Reports. Data on the number of elephants taken by control operations, tusks found outside national parks, and tusks confiscated following contraventions of the Game Ordinance have been extracted from the Annual Re-

The Use of Ovulated Follicles in Determining Eggs Laid by the Ring-Necked Pheasant

the inactive ovary. Ovaries from immature wild hens examined at the same time did not show these pigmented structures. These observations suggested that the pigmented structures are characteristic of ovaries from hens that have gone through at least one breeding season, and that these structures might be the terminal stages in the involution of ovulated follicles. Furthermore, the observations suggested that a method for determining the number of eggs ovulated by examining the ovary at a time subsequent to the breeding season could be developed. Experiments were conducted to test these hypotheses and to determine whether a method could be de-

CENSUSING ELK BY AIRPLANE IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON

The objectives of this study were: (1) To conduct an aerial census of elk (Cervus canadensis nelsoni Bailey) on their winter range in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington during the late winter and early spring of 1949 and 1950, (2) to test the accuracy of these aerial counts by comparing them with ground counts made on the same land and by comparing repeated aerial counts over the same area, and (3) to determine the practicability of an air-census technique in rugged terrain. We extend grateful acknowledgment to Hobart G. Jenkins who piloted a Cessna 140 for fourteen hours during the study. Recognition is also given to Arthur E. Haines, Clifford A. Moser, and John M. Parrish, wildlife students, who acted as observers on three of the

Ulcerative Enteritis in the Pheasant, Blue Grouse and California Quail

with a %7/-inch iron and rams with a 2-inch iron. The plastic streamer was inserted in a small slit in the left ear and secured with a jess knot (Craighead and Stockstadt, ibid.). The stock-type tag was clamped in the right ear of the animal. Sheep numbered 1 to 5 were not marked with the plastic streamer and have consequently been more difficult to locate. They have been seen and identified again only because groups of sheep were thoroughly scanned with a 30X spotting scope. On the other hand, 25 animals with the plastic streamer have been spotted at a, great distance, both with the naked eye and with field glasses. They were then carefully stalked until the brand could be read. Several observations of marked animals have also been made when the sheep took flight. Although it was impossible to read the brand, the streamer provided a record of movement from the trap site, as a different colored plastic streamer was used at each trap. The only change we contemplate in the above will be to outline the brand with paint so that the number can be more easily read. Some of the 25 sheep have been ear-tagged for over a year, and to date only one streamer has pulled loose. This one was put on by an inexperienced helper, and the ear slit was not properly made.

Daily and Seasonal Crowing Frequency of Ring-Necked Pheasants

Crow counts (number of calls) of cock pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) obtained during spring are used widely in the United States as indices for detecting relative changes in numbers of birds between years and different areas. The reliability and comparative value of these counts are affected by many factors. According to Nomsen (1953) and Klongland and Kozicky (1953), counts should be made at the same time of day in relation to sunrise in order to give comparable data. Kimball (1949) states that on rainy days crowing is less than on clear days. McClure (1944), while inducing crowing by detonations, noticed that optimal temperature range for crowing appeared to be between freezing and 500 F.

Nesting and Movements of Canada Geese on the Snake River in Washington

The earliest work done here was by Yocom (1951). Buss and Wing (1966) reported preimpoundment observations of wintering Mallards and nesting Canada Geese for the 19541965 period. The present study was initiated in February 1966 and continued through May 1968. Specific objectives were to continue nesting data collection, to study the extent of undetected nesting, and to study the movements and behavior of juvenile, adult, and migrant geese.

Breeding Age of Blue Grouse

A blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) collected in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington on October 11, 1949 had molted all of its juvenile primaries. The absence of the outer two pair of juvenile primaries indicated an adult bird (one which had completed the post-nuptial molt). However, the well-developed bursa of Fabricius (19 mm. deep) indicated a bird of the year. Disagreement of these two age criteria raised the question: Does the blue grouse molt all primaries during its juvenile molt? Does this species retain its bursa longer than a year and hence not breed until it is two years old? Fourteen full-grown blue grouse, shot in the Blue Mountains in fall since 1949, have been carefully examined in an attempt to answer these questions. Table 1 shows total weight, bursal measurement and status of primary molt for each of the Blue Mountain grouse as well as for nine adults collected by Schottelius (1951) during the nesting and brood season in Okanogan County, northern Washington. Five grouse in the table had molted all juvenile primaries except the outer two pair and had bursal measurements from 18 to 20

Relationship of Gonadal Recrudescence and Testicular Melanogenesis in California Quail

can highland birds. Publ. Nuttall Ornithol. Club, No. 7. SLUD, P. 1965. Report on the ornithological portion of the 1964-65 WNRE ecological investigation in Costa Rica. Advanced Research Projects Agency. Order No. 578. Wilson, Nuttall, and Raymond, Engineers. Chestertown, Md. 126 p. VUILLEUMIER, F. 1969. Systematics and evolution in Diglossa (Aves, Coerebidae). Amer. Mus. Novitates, No. 2381. WAGNER, H. 0. 1945. Notes on the life history of the Mexican Violet-ear. Wilson Bull. 57:165-187. WILBUR, R. L. 1969. A new Costa Rican species of Centropogon (Campanulaceae: Lobelioideae). Brittonia 21:355-358.

Age Determination and Plumage Observations of Blue Grouse

The primary purpose of this study was to obtain data on the molt pattern and growth rate of captive known-age young blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) upon which to base a system of age determination. Secondarily, observations were made on the molt pattern of adult and subadult blue grouse raised in captivity. The average weight (measured at weekly intervals) of the young birds in 1960 was conspicuously different from the average weight obtained in 1961. This variation in weight was attributed to a difference in diet during the first 4 weeks of life. The average weight of young wild blue grouse closely approximated the average weight of the 1960 captive juveniles at a corresponding age, whereas the wild birds were heavier than the 1961 captive birds at a corresponding age. The growth rates of post-juvenal primaries and rectrices, rather than sequence of feather loss, provided the principal means for placing young blue grouse in weekly categories from the third to the eleventh week. The loss of the primary and secondary remiges in subadult male blue grouse (about a year of age) commenced earlier than did the loss in adult males, remaining in advance of the adults until October. Techniques for determining age of game birds are used widely for analyzing and comparing age structure of populations by time and area. A means for determining age of young blue grouse to the nearest week had not been conclusively determined when our study began. Bendell (1955: 354) used the sequence of feather loss over the entire bird for placing young grouse in 2-week categories. The ages of the wild b rds used in his study were determined from the peak of hatching, and therefore were not known exactly. The research upon which this paper is based was conThis content downloaded from 157.55.39.203 on Sat, 27 Aug 2016 05:47:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms BLUE GROUSE AGING* Smith and Buss 567 ducted in 1960 and 1961 and was designed: (1) to obtain, from young blue grouse, characteristics which are precise enough to allow age determination to the nearest week, and (2) to record observations on molt patterns of subadult and adult grouse. The data for this study were taken from a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an M.S. degree in Wildlife Biology at Washington State University. The investigation was supported in part by funds provided for biological and medical research by the State of Washington Initiative Measure No. 171. Acknowledgment is made to the State of Washington Department of Game and the Washington Game Bird Club for providing funds to construct experimental pens. Acknowledgment is also made to Oscar W. Johnson, Department of Zoology, Washington State University, for critical reading of the manuscript. Appreciation is expressed to Leo S. Jensen, Department of Poultry Science, Washington State University, for technical assistance in developing the bird diets used in this investigation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three broods were hatched from captive grouse, Broods A and B in 1960 and C in 1961. Brood A consisted of three birds. Four birds were present originally in Brood B, but two died at 3 and 7 weeks respectively. Four of the eight chicks hatched in 1961 had died by 5 days of age; the remaining four birds survived until October 26, 1961, when field observations ended and the birds were utilized for study skins. All chicks were taken from the hen as soon after hatching as possible and placed in a small brooder at a temperature from 85 F to 95 F for the first week. Thereafter the brooder was utilized only at night and during cool days until the chicks were 5 weeks of age. At this age, their feather development was adequate to protect them against climatic contingencies, and they were placed in large pens like those occupied by the adult grouse. Food and feeding techniques varied between 1960 and 1961. In 1960, the young birds were started on mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor), turkey starter mash, chopped dandelion greens, and hard-boiled egg. Mealworms were the chief food until the second or third week, at which time the birds were shifted to the other foods. During the first 4 weeks, while they were confined to the brooder, the chicks were r leased daily for about an hour on a mowed lawn, where they consumed insects, grass, and weeds. Between the fifth and s xth week of age, they were gradually shifted to whole-grain wheat, cracked corn, crushed oyster shells, crushed rock, and a pellet food formulated by the Poultry Science Department at Washington State University (for ingredients see Table 1, Nelson et al. 1962:270). In 1961, the newly hatched blue grouse were placed in a brooder with a supply of turkey starter mash. At the same time, a newly hatched domestic chicken was obtained and placed with the grouse chicks. The young chicken began pecking at the mash at once, and the blue grouse followed its actions. Thus the grouse were started on mash, and despite a daily ration of mealworms, the mash was the chief food. Alfalfa was provided daily and was devoured quickly by the young birds. As in the previous year, the birds were placed on a mowed lawn for about an hour each day. The diet was shifted gradually to the adult diet soon after the young grouse were placed in one of the large pens. This pen contained a bush of honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), the berries of which were aten promptly by the young grouse. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.203 on Sat, 27 Aug 2016 05:47:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 568 Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 27, No. 4, October 1963 Medication (an antibiotic and blackhead preventative) was added to the drinking water in 1961. The following data were recorded weekly for the young grouse: weight; the last primary dropped; the primaries that were found, on gross examination, to contain blood (also recorded for secondaries and rectrices in 1961); and the length of primaries, secondaries, and rectrices (1961 only). The average weekly growth rates of post-juvenal primaries were obtained by subtracting the length observed when first measured from the final length and dividing by the number of weeks required to complete development. In 1960, weekly photographs were taken of the young grouse against a grid of 2-inch squares, with the birds placed as close to the grid as possible to reduce the effect of parallax. These photographs disclosed subtle, but definite, week-to-week differences among males which would be very difficult to convey in words. Until the grouse were 9 weeks of age, photographs were taken of both sexes; thereafter, photographs were taken of males only. All linear measurements were recorded to the nearest millimeter and all weights were recorded to the nearest gram. In 1960, the eight captive adults and four subadults were maintained exclusively for breeding purposes and for the development of a larger colony of experimental grouse. Since handling might have jeopardized breeding success, these grouse were not used for study purposes. In 1961, two subadults, three adult males, and three adult females were present in the experimental flock. Observational procedures were generally the same as for the young birds. The grouse were examined weekly, commencing at the time the first dropped feather was observed, on May 22. At this time, only the males were examined, as the nesting season was not yet complete and disturbance of the females was deemed undesirable. The first female was examined on May 29; the other two females were exam ned initially on June 6. Observations on all grouse were terminated on October 26. The following records were kept for the dult and subadult grouse: the last primary, secondary, and rectrix which had been dropped; the primaries, secondaries, and rectrices which contained blood; the lengths of the incomplete primaries, secondaries, and rectrices; and the development of feathers in the various feather tracts. Development of the contour feathers was observed by stroking the feathers toward the head and noting the area of each feather tract which contained incomplete feathers. Measurements of the flight feathers were obtained by placing a rule against the patagium on the distal side of the feather being measured. Rectrices were measured with a rule from tip to point of insertion. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION There was a conspicuous difference in average weights of young birds between the 2 years of this study. This difference is presented graphically in Figs. I and 2.