Vol. 17, No. 5 
Page 3 
(Hejianthus spp.), soybean (Glycine max ), wheat (Triticum aestivum) , multiflora 
rose (Rosa multiflora ), Korean lespedeza (Lespedeza stipulacea ), corn (Zea mays ), 
serecia lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata ), jewel weed ( Impatiens pal 1ida ), and 
sassafras (Sassafras a 1bidum ), and tick clover ( Desmodiurn spp.).' 
Sunflower was planted for the first time on Dale in 1973* It was readily 
accepted by quail. Sunflower seeds occur in 26 percent of the crops and comprised 
35 percent of the total volume of seeds in the crops. The seeds of serecia 
lespedeza and multiflora rose were found in the crops of quail harvested during 
the January portion of the season when snow covered the ground. 
Twenty-five species of seeds were identified in 179 crops from the Forbes 
Area. The 10 most important seeds listed in order of decreasing volume consumed 
were: Wheat, soybean, milo (Sorghum vulqare ), corn, wild bean (Strophostyles spp.), 
Korean lespedeza, common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia ), tick clover, ash 
(Fraxinus spp.), and giant foxtai1 (Setaria faberii ). 
Sunflowers were not available on the Forbes Area. On both areas seeds from 
cultivated crops comprised approximately 80 percent of the total volume of seeds 
found in the crops. Although the bobwhite consumes a wide variety of plant 
seeds during late fall and early winter, the bulk of the diet is supplied by seeds 
of agricultural crops. 
Responses of Prairie Chickens to Habita t Manipulation R. t. Westemeier, 
D. R. Vance 
Results of booming ground surveys conducted in seven counties of south-central 
Illinois in the spring of 1974 revealed a total of 208 prairie chicken cocks, a 
decline of 22 percent from the 266 cocks found in 1973- The 143 cocks in the 
Bogota flock comprised 69 percent of the known statewide total. 
Prairie chickens were found on only five areas outlying the Bogota area. No 
prairie chickens were found near Fairman (4 cocks in 1973) or near Loogootee 
(2 cocks in 1973) this spring. However, three flocks increased—Bible Grove 
(4 cocks to 8 cocks), Mt. Erie (6 cocks to 9 cocks), and Hoyleton (3 cocks to 10 
cocks). On the sanctuary areas in Marion County, the Kinmundy-Forbes Park flock 
declined from 22 cocks in 1973 to 13 cocks in 1974, but the Farina flock in¬ 
creased slightly from 22 cocks to 25 cocks. The flocks now associated with 
sanctuaries in Marion County (38 cocks) and Jasper County (143 cocks) constitute 
87 percent of the known statewide population of prairie chickens. 
