VOl* 5, No. 3 
Page 6 
The largest number of green-winged teals, widgeons, lesser scaups, and ring¬ 
necked ducks ever recorded (1956 to date) during the spring occurred this year. 
This large number of birds may have occurred as a result of the extensive food 
supply made available by flood waters in the Illinois and Mississippii River valleys 
7. Wildlife-Insecticide Relationships R. W. Lutz 
Roadside rabbit censuses have been conducted along a 33-mile route on the 
Donovan and Beaverville areas from March, 1960 to the present. Counts were started 
at least one hour after sunset with the exception of the period from April to 
August. During these months, counts were made during the early morning hours. When 
ever possible at least two counts were conducted on each area each month. The Dono¬ 
van area habitat was found to be more suitable for rabbits than the habitat on the 
Beaverville area. Results of the censuses are shown in table 4. 
Table 4.—Number of rabbits observed per mile on the Donovan and Beaverville 
areas from March to December, 1960 and 1961, 
Donovan 
Beaverville 
Year of 
Treatment 
Year after 
Treatment 
Untreated 
1960 
1961 
1960 
1961 
Miles Driven 
lj 614 
1,244 
1,584 
1,243 
Rabbits per Mile 
.20 
.45 
• 
o 
CO 
.13 
During 1960, when the Donovan area was treated with aldrin, 2,5 times as many 
rabbits per mile were observed on the treated area as on the untreated Beaverville 
area. In 1961, the year after treatment, 3,5 times as many rabbits per mile were 
observed on the treated area as on the untreated area. The number of rabbits 
observed per mile on the treated area in 1961 was 2.2 times greater than in 1960, 
on the untreated area in 1961, the number of rabbits observed per mile was 1.6 
times greater than in 1960. These data suggest that rabbit populations, as a whole, 
were unaffected by the application of aldrin. 
