Vol. 6 , No. 5 
Page 2 
Table 2. Frequency of occurrence of 37 species of plants associated with 470 
pheasant nests examined on the Sibley area, 1962. 
PI ant 
Species 
Number of 
Nests Where 
Plant Occurred 
Plant 
Species 
Number cf 
Nests Where 
Plant Occurred 
Red Clover 
289 
Dandelion 
4 
Timothy 
147 
Mi 1 kweed 
4 
Alfalfa 
111 
Curled Dock 
3 
Sweet Clover 
i 06 
Big Bluestem 
3 
Brome Grass 
65 
Wheat 
2 
Eluegrass 
56 
Corn 
2 
Oats 
27 
Horsetai1 
2 
Canada Thistle 
17 
Lambs Quarters 
2 
Field Bind Weed 
14 
Prickly Lettuce 
2 
Foxtail Grasses 
10 
Wi1d Rose 
2 
Quack Grass 
10 
Wheat Grass 
2 
Orchard Grass 
9 
Rhubarb 
1 
Wild Carrot 
9 
Goatsbeard 
1 
Smartweed 
9 
Giant Ragweed 
1 
Wi1d Parsnip 
8 
Wi 1d Mustard 
1 
Broadleaf Plantain 
6 
Wild Strawberry 
1 
Common Ragweed 
5 
Sedge 
1 
Horse Nettle 
5 
Catnip 
Wi1d Aster 
1 
1 
2. Manipul at ion of Pheasant I labitat D. E. Newman 
Comparative measurements of vegetation on roadsides near Sibley revealed con¬ 
siderable differences between the composition, density, and height of vegetative 
species found on seeded plots and control plots. The vegetation on plots seeded 
in 1962 consisted predominantly of grasses, alfalfa, and clover, ranked in de¬ 
ceasing order of dominance. Grasses were present in 99 percent of 112, 1/4-square 
meter quadrats; alfalfa and clover had respective frequencies of occurrence of 80 
and 69 percent, respectively. These species, grasses, alfalfa, and clover, afforded 
averages of 26, 10, and 7 percent top-cover in the quadrat samples. This 43 per¬ 
cent top-cover was more than double the cover provided by vegetation in control 
plots, frcm which top-cover averaged 21 percent. Bluegrass was the dominant cover 
species in control plots. The average height of the dominants in seeded plots was 
8.3, 8.2, and 6.5 inches, respectively, for grass, alfalfa, and clover. Grasses in 
control plots averaged 6.6 inches in height. These vegetative differences are im¬ 
portant factors to consider in the evaluation of the utilization of roadsides by 
nesting pheasants and in the future planning of additional habitat manipulation 
along roadsides. 
3* Factors 1nf1uencing D:stribution and Abundance of Pheasants W. L. Anderson 
Recent observations of territorial cocks and their harems on the Neoga area 
suggest that pheasants of the various strains are successfully cross-mating. Table 
^ 3* There was, however, a tendency for cocks and hens of each strain to occur to¬ 
gether more frequently than with birds of other strains. The wild pheasants (native 
and wild—111inois transplants) apparently associated freely with each other whereas 
