The Arlie William Schorger collection is comprised of correspondence, field notes, clippings, and a small number of miscellaneous papers.
The Correspondence, 1934-1949 and 1968, consists primarily of letters to Schorger from his friend, Francis Zirrer. Zirrer, a fellow ornithologist and naturalist, sent many detailed accounts of wildlife sighted in the vicinity of his residences in the northwestern Wisconsin communities of Birchwood and Hayward. Also included are several of Schorger's responses to Zirrer, a few of Schorger's exchanges with others regarding the Zirrer correspondence, and a letter, 1945, to Schorger from his son, William.
Schorger's Field Notes, 1912-1971, consist of five volumes of handwritten journal entries recording his observations of birds and other wildlife. The dated entries are generally terse but detailed accounts of the field observations he made in southern Wisconsin several times a week for nearly sixty years, and on many longer trips to northern Wisconsin and other parts of the country. His usual practice was to carry, in addition to binoculars, a pencil and small note pad with which to record weather conditions, behavior of species observed, and other notes from which he wrote his entry for the day.
The Clippings, 1934-1955, taken primarily from Madison and Milwaukee newspapers, are reports of news events involving wildlife, and accounts of the work of naturalists, including Schorger himself. Due to their deteriorating condition, these clippings have been photocopied. There are additional clippings mounted throughout Schorger's field notes, especially at the end of the first volume.
The Miscellaneous Papers consist of bird lists, notes on nests found, and directions to a few bird watching areas in Dane County, Wisconsin.
