AL apparently set up the species and subject files in the early 1920s in connection with his proposed book, "Southwestern Game Fields" (ms. 1927), later titled "Deer Management in the Southwest" (ms. 1929). See Southwestern book manuscripts in 9/25/10-6, Box 10.

Correspondence in the files indicates that after Mr. Leopold left the Southwest for Madison in 1924, he continued to send clippings, notes, and other items "for the files" to his co-authors in New Mexico, J. Stokely Ligon and R. Fred Pettit. It is not clear whether he ultimately brought those files to Madison (perhaps after his deer-hunting trip to New Mexico in November 1929, by which time work on the joint manuscript seems to have ceased), or whether he retained copies in back-up files of his own. At any rate, materials in the species and subject files in the UW-Madison Archives seem to have been written or collected almost entirely by AL.

The earliest material (to about 1929) relates largely to the "Southwestern" book and to a few of Mr. Leopold's early articles on game management. Some material in these files (1928-1930) pertains to general or summary aspects of the Report on a Game Survey of the North Central States (1931), although most material for individual state surveys is in the state files. A good deal of correspondence and other material, especially 1930-1931, concerns various sections of Leopold's textbook, Game Management (1933). After 1933, content of most of the folders is of a more miscellaneous nature and diminishes in quantity. Exceptions are certain species and subjects, such as upland game birds, whitetail deer, rabbits, cycles, food patches, etc., on which AL's research interests centered during the 1930s. In such folders, there is considerable correspondence with students and colleagues, as well as data and occasional working papers for articles. (See also the research area and project files, 9/25/10-5, and research manuscripts working papers, 9/25/10-6, Boxes 007 and 012.)

The species and subject files originally contained about equal quantities of correspondence and miscellaneous material. At the time the files were deposited by the University of Wisconsin Department of Wildlife Ecology, however, most of the published items (except for occasional duplicates) were removed, along with materials filed after 1948. (A few folders accessioned earlier are included in this series, and may include some published items.) Published materials removed from the files were mostly clippings and articles from state game bulletins and popular outdoor magazines, such as Outdoor Life . Certain folders containing solely published items were not accessioned, and contents of a few folders have been consolidated, but the series is arranged substantially as it was originally.

The correspondence in this series indicates the breadth and character of AL's contacts with sportsmen, wildlife researchers and administrators, government officials, businessmen, and various individuals throughout the country in other professional and private roles. It also indicates the extent to which certain of his research efforts consisted of synthesizing heterogeneous data and observations and experiences of others. In addition to correspondence, the files contain extracts from letters filed elsewhere; AL's notes on his own field observations (including many made while on forest inspection trips in the Southwest) and on observations reported to him by others; extracts from published sources; AL's "digests" of books and articles; a few clippings from mimeographed serials, such as United States Forest Service daily bulletins; occasional cross-references to material in other files; and manuscripts, charts, maps, checklists, and other working papers by AL.

Species folders are arranged by type of species: Big Game (Boxes 001-002), Upland Game Birds (Boxes 002-003), Songbirds (Box 003), Waterfowl (Box 004), Predators and Furbearers (Box 004), and Rodents, Fish, Exotics (Box 005). Subject folders follow in alphabetical order (Boxes 006-008).

Material within each folder is arranged chronologically, although in many cases the "original" AL material (correspondence, notes, manuscripts) is filed first and all miscellaneous (and often undated material) is filed at the end of each folder.

Includes correspondence re AL's article, "The Grizzly--A Problem in Land Planning," Outdoor America (April 1942).

10 letters, notes, mss., 1921-1942

Concerns especially woodland caribou in the Red Lake District, Minnesota.

20 letters, misc., 1930-1943

Musk ox, javelina, mountain goat.

3 letters, misc., 1922-1934

Materials concerning game surveys and studies undertaken by AL, Paul Errington, Starker Leopold, Arthur Hawkins, and various UW researchers supervised by AL. These folders (004a and 004b) comprise some 360 letters, plus miscellaneous documents and manuscripts.

1915-1933

In June 2007, folder 004 was divided for better preservation of the physical contents.

1934-1948

Contents are mostly replies to AL's request for data, probably used for his paper, "The Quail Shortage of 1930" (no drafts).

30 letters, misc., 1930-1931

This folder contains replies to AL's annual requests for data about quail sex ratio from game survey cooperators in the north central states, 1929-37, and tabulations. The study was apparently by AL in connection with Paul Errington's quail studies in Wisconsin..

100 letters, misc., 1929-1938

A few items, including reports (1922-24), pertain to the Quail Committee of the Albuquerque Game Protective Association, of which AL was chairman.

10 letters, misc., mss., 1920-1942

Included are lists of birds seen, 1912-13, at Tres Piedras, New Mexico, and Burlington, Iowa; and other items on miscellaneous species.

8pp notes, 1912-1913; 6 letters, misc., 1919-1947

Contains "pin-up" tally sheets for days on which cardinals sing, filled in for AL by various cooperators in Wisconsin, and related correspondence.

letters, forms, 1946-1948

Correspondence with officials of the United States Biological Survey and others concerning waterfowl policy and administration. Also included are materials pertaining to miscellaneous species and research.

35 letters, misc., mss., 1921-1948

Among other materials are some pertaining to AL's paper, "The decline of the Jacksnipe in southern Wisconsin," Wilson Bulletin (1930).

25 letters, misc., mss., 1927-1944

This is AL's file of correspondence with Leonard Wing and others concerning a WPA-financed newspaper search for game notes for a wildlife cycle study. See official WPA file below.

40 letters, misc., 1938-1939

Contains official correspondence, project proposals, work progress, summary reports, and miscellaneous items pertaining to the WPA-financed Wildlife Population Study, University Social Research, supervised by AL.

1937-1940

Includes correspondence initiated by B.W. Cartwright of Ducks Unlimited in response to AL's 1943 pheasant paper, discussing cyclic theory, particularly in relation to predation and population turnover. Roy N. Bach was working on the same problem independently.

15 letters, 1944

Correspondence with Stoddard, McAtee, and Errington concerns AL's proposal for research on wildlife food selection.

5 letters, mss., 1936

Contents concern research on criteria of breeding by I. Buss, C. Kabat, and Dr. R.K. Meyer.

10 letters, misc., 1942-1944

Most of the correspondence dates from 1922-23 and concerns AL's article, "Wild Followers of the Forest," American Forests (September 1923).

50 letters, misc., mss., 1922-1944

Contents deal mostly with foods of Southwestern deer.

35 letters, misc., mss., 1922-1941

Included are materials relating to AL's article, "The forestry of the prophets" (1920), and his 1935 trip to Germany.

5 letters, misc., mss., 1920-1940

AL was interested in the possibility of joint research with A.G. Solalinde.

15 items, 1930-1934

Materials pertain to organization for research by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission (AL was apparently a member of the Research Bureau, ca. 1932). Working drafts and a corrected copy of the published version of AL's "Wisconsin Wildlife Chronology" (1940) are also included.

10 letters, misc., mss., 1929-1944

Materials concern a cooperative study (apparently supervised by AL) by A.S. Hawkins of the Illinois Natural History Survey and William Feeney of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

15 letters, reports, 1939-1940

Correspondence with Stoddard, McAtee, and J.C. Phillips concerns instinct in birds and an article by K. Lorenz.

6 letters, notes, 1937

Includes correspondence with Alfred Ely, Chairman of Records of North American Big Game, about measurement of big game heads in Wisconsin by William Elder.

15 letters, forms, misc., 1936-1938

Contains records and correspondence about AL's travels through the West in the summer of 1939 as a consultant to the Soil Conservation Service, focusing especially on rodent control. Correspondence with Jean M. Linsdale, Ira Gabrielson, Leo Couch, Albert Day, A.E. Borell, [F.E. Garlough], et al., concerns AL's efforts to promote rodent management (environmental control) as an alternative to poisoning.

25 letters, mss., 1939-1940

Contains a report prepared by Otis Bersing of the Wisconsin Conservation Department, along with AL's criticisms.

1944

This is AL's wilderness file, containing correspondence, memos, maps, manuscripts, clippings from the United States Forest Service Bulletin (mimeo), and other miscellaneous items pertaining to establishment of the Gila Wilderness, general wilderness area policy, and the wilderness idea.

20 letters, 2 memos, 2 maps, 6 manuscripts (by AL), 18 clippings, & misc., 1922-1940