11 



700 acres of such land he found a population density of 12.86 whistling cocks 

 per 1000 acres - about half the normal population density for the time and 

 area. About the same figure - 12.29 whistling cocks per 1000 acres - was ob- 

 tained during the summer of 1959 on a 10,000-acre census tract near Faceville, 

 Georgia, after it was partly treated during the winter of 1958-59 (Rosene, 

 unpubl.). This was less than half the population density of the area (27.43) 

 in 1958 when it was untreated. In Montgomery County, Alabama, the Bureau's 

 studies by Stewart (unpubl.) indicated that breeding bobwhite quail populations 

 were reduced 76.9% immediately after treatment, and in West Baton Rouge Parish, 

 Louisiana, Glasgow [29], (letter), found that bobwhite were eliminated on a 

 small study tract. In Union County, Arkansas, Goddard (unpubl.) found that 

 there was an 88% kill of bobwhite quail with populations declining from 72 per 

 1000 acres to 7 soon after treatment. There was a moderate decline (22%) on 

 the control area from 49 birds per 1000 acres to 38. 



d. Effects on Wild Turkey . Effects were reported by Clawson [7] for 

 the Wilcox County, Alabama, area. A pre-treatment population of 80 declined 

 steadily through the first breeding season after treatment. Some reproduction 

 took place as evidenced by a clutch of unhatched eggs and a dead poult found on 

 the area. No turkeys were present (or, at least, observed) during the first 

 summer after treatment. During the first winter after treatment only 5 gob- 

 blers, 6 hens and 1 young of the year were present - as determined by systematic 

 censusing from baited blinds. Populations continued to be seriously depressed 

 into the second year. Second year winter figures are not available. It is of 

 interest to note that the domestic turkeys on the area also had no reproduction. 

 Three hens laid 50 eggs of which 7 hatched; all 7 young died soon after birth. 

 Turkey populations on untreated areas nearby were normal. 



e. Effects on Reptiles . Reptiles were seriously affected by the 

 heptachlor applications, especially the aquatic and ground-dwelling forms. 

 Quantitative figures for snakes are available from only the Wilcox County, Ala- 

 bama, area. Matschke (unpubl.), [2] captured, marked and released 137 cotton- 

 mouths during the first year after treatment. New captures and recaptures 

 declined steadily until mid-summer 1959 (15 months after treatment), after 

 which no moccasins were found on the study area (a beaver swamp of about 8 

 acres of which only a part was treated). Also, all snakes of the genera 

 Storeria and Natrix disappeared during the year after treatment. Some 

 Thamnophis survived and reproduction took place the second summer after treat- 

 ment, but 2 of 7 young of the year went into convulsions when captured. 

 Studies are continuing. 



Dead snakes were found after treatment in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana 

 [29]. Snakes disappeared (none seen) after treatment in West Baton Rouge 

 Parish, and in Vermillion Parish, 8 dead and 21 live water snakes ( Natrix ) were 

 found after treatment but 14 live snakes of 3 other genera ( Thamnophis . 

 Heterodon, Aqkistrodon ) were found (Glasgow, letter). 



Both aquatic and terrestrial turtles were seriously reduced in number 

 after treatment. No quantitative data on population densities are available, 

 but aquatic turtles were virtually eliminated in the herpetological study area 

 (8-acre beaver swamp) on the Wilcox County, Alabama, area and box turtles 



