MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Vol. 1, .No. 2 
Page 3 
Two sick raccoons were examined, one from near Penfield in Champaign 
County and the other from near Danvers in McLean County. Chemical analysis of 
the liver of the first was negative for heavy metals and no further tests were 
made. Chemical examination of the second revealed the presence of arsenic in the 
liver tissue but no lead compounds* 
A search of hollow trees on the 8l5-acre study area in Piatt County 
revealed that most of the 56 raccoons and 91 opossums caught, marked and released 
there last year had migrated to adjoining areas or died* This area, mostly 
floodplain, is deficient in food in winter. Return migration is expected* 
W-61-R-1 F. Greeley, J. Ellis 
Most of February was spent compiling the rural mail carrier reports of 
pheasants seen from January 27-31? 1958. Incomplete tabulation showed that 76 
per cent of 1,385 carriers responded and that 97.7 per cent of the returns were 
usableo. Pheasants were seen in 6b of 76 counties compared to 55? 63 and 6b 
counties in February, April and August, respectively, of 1957* 
The mail carriers drove 2b8,13b miles and saw 38,010 pheasants during 
the 5-day count. In the 6b counties where the pheasants were seen the carriers 
drove 2l5?bb8 miles and saw an average of l8 0 5 birds per 100 miles compared to 
8.b in February, 1957* The marked increase in the 1958 count probably resulted 
from the widespread snow cover which improved visibility. 
The winter sex ratios indicated a decline in the rate of harvest of 
cocks from that of 1957? assuming the preseason sex ratio was the same in both 
years. In 1957? 27.7 per cent of the birds seen by mail carriers were cocks; in 
1958? 32*2 per cent were cocks. This change in sex ratio occurred in spite of 
the fact that hens were probably more easily seen against the snow cover of 1958. 
A survey was designed for the winter pheasant count on the Bellmont 
area. The area was divided into 228 plots, each bO acres in size. Fifty-seven 
were selected at random to be searched. The rate of sampling was four plots per 
section. The time required to census the plots was b6.5 man hours. Eight 
pheasants (6 cocks:2 hens) were observed on the census plots. These data when 
analysed statistically produced an estimate of 32 + b3 pheasants for the 9120-acre 
area. The estimate of cocks was 2b 32 and of hens was 8 + 32« 
