i r ilLY ''ILDLIKE RESEARCH LETTER 
Vol. 1, Mo. 6 
Page 2 
R. D. Lord 
/-I 4 if—H—7 
On the two lOO-scre ^tudy areas in Robert Allerton Park, the 
evnulntion of cover and managor.ent practices is being based primarily on the 
cc^parstive productivity of cottontails. The 1-H area, planted to }6 acres of 
cv»;r»'rcen ar.J deciduous trees, is made accessible by mowing wide paths between 
the blocks of planted trees. I he sanctuary area is being allowed to succeed to 
deciduous forest. The productivity of the rabbits on the unhunted sanctuary la 
only >0 per cent of what it is on the l-H area. 
Further studies on tt>e relation of rabbits to cover showed e correla¬ 
tion between the density of rabbits in a large, open field and the number of 
feet of mowed path per acre in this field. It is believed that the mowed pethe 
permit nore rabbits to utilise the center of this field. 
Counts of rabbit pellets on 5,bOO quadrate In 00 m and soybeans at 
31 > ley last year indicated that rabbits used com twice as much as they did 
soybeans during the peak of the vegetative development of both crops. The 
difference was statistically significant. 
The latest findings in the fecal pellet investigations indicate that 
females deposit, on the average, 20 more pellets per day than do males. The 
decay rate of male and female rabbit pellets in April was 20 par oent per day. 
in May the decay rate of female pellets dropped to 7.7 par oent per day, while 
the rate of decay of mala pellets remained ?0 per cent per day. 
w-5?-R-3* P. Vohs, R. Conder 
The final report of the wide-row com project la being prepared and 
will be completed during the early pert of July. The review of literature on 
wlde-rcm corn is being brought up to date. 
Limited field observations were conducted during the month. Ob s e rve - 
tiens of quail in the Korean lespadesa-orchardgrass-red clover interseeding at 
the Litt le Grassy area totaled 12) L additional observations were made in the 
wide-row field where the inter oeedir*? of millet, yellow gamete lover, and rye¬ 
grass did not recover this spring. At the Bradley eras, observations of quail 
totaled 10 In the wide-row field where the Korean leqpedaae had reached a height 
ol 6 inches. No quail were observed in either of the oaotrol plots. 
F. Bellroee 
This project wee Inactive during June. 
J-S6-II-2 0. Sanderson, K. Johnson 
Data from the live-trapping activities on the ]*565-ecre study area 
in P^att County hare been mmnarlsed. The data show that hunters and trappers 
harvested at least lfl per cent of $6 raccoons marked during 1957. Twenty*-seven 
*:'<< itTiorri Illinois University cooperating 
