ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 



31 



Rock River Valley, along the Kankakee, 

 the Sangamon, the Vermilion, and many 

 other streams. 



It would transform the state highways 

 from places one wanted to get over as 

 quickly as possible into one long suc- 

 cession of delightful views, and make 

 lingering and slow motoring a thing to 

 be desired." 



Our readers are invited to report for 

 the Spring Bulletin the significant areas 

 in their respective counties that might 

 well be preserved and what funds the 

 authorized levy would make available for 

 that purpose. There might also be re- 

 ports of areas that could at least be set 

 aside for bird refuges. Perhaps some 

 one can write us about the very inter- 

 esting Ozark region of southern Illinois. 

 Who can furnish detailed information as 

 to the government "zone" through which 

 the Illinois and Mississippi Canal runs? 

 This canal connecting the Illinois River 

 with the Mississippi is 75 miles long and 

 has a feeder 29 miles long. It would 

 seem possible to make this zone a bird 

 refuge. This would be a fine achieve- 

 ment for Audubonites living along the 

 canal zone. 



* * * 



The legislature is now in session. The 

 State Park Commission may at this time 

 ask for the purchase of additional park 

 areas. This Commission now controls 

 855 acres in the Starved Rock Park and 

 ten acres at Fort Chartres in Randolph 

 County. It has urged past legislatures to 

 purchase the Cahokia Mound area and 

 also the white pine forest in Ogle County. 

 It may renew its request and recommend 

 additional areas. As soon as its program 

 is announced the members of the Illinois 

 Audubon Society will be invited to back 

 up that program by individual work with 

 our legislators. A bill appropriating 

 $30,000 for the purchase of the white 



pine forest in Ogle County passed both 

 houses of the legislature in 1903, but 

 Governor Yates' veto killed it. Governor 

 Dunne's express statement that he would 

 veto any bill for the purchase of this 

 tract has prevented any action during 

 the past four years. Our new governor 

 has been conspicuous for his interest in 

 the preservation of places of scenic 

 beauty in the Rock River country where 

 his Sinnissippi farm is located. We can 

 be sure that Governor Lowden will give 

 a sympathetic hearing to any well-con- 

 sidered plan for conserving the scenic 

 assets of our state. 



Another March bird-census is promised 

 for our coming Spring Bulletin. Sup- 

 pose our contributors report for the 

 period between March 1 and March 15. 

 Last year's list was very interesting and 

 will prove of value for use during the 

 corresponding period this year. For the 

 Bulletin we also wish reports from all 

 over Illinois of the results of field obser- 

 vations during these winter months. Es- 

 pecially welcome will be reports upon 

 success in winter feeding and attracting 

 of birds. Our readers are invited to 

 send in criticisms of the bird list printed 

 in the Spring, 1916, Bulletin. This was 

 a copy of one our Society has been 

 distributing as a separate print. Two 

 hundred and sixty-four different species 

 are therein listed with no effort to sepa- 

 rate the more common from the rare. 

 Possibly our readers will wish to add 

 other names to the list. As this list is 

 now arranged it is somewhat technical 

 and not easy to consult. Possibly a new 

 list can be prepared with the 100 com- 

 moner birds of the state named first and 

 the remaining species arranged as com- 

 paratively rare or limited in range, etc. 

 Our readers are invited to suggest ways 



to make this list more helpful. 

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