Vol. 12, No. 2 
Page 2 
From August 11 to 31 only 0-50 inch of rain was recorded at Gibson City, and 
from September 1 to 16 only 0*32 inch of rain fell. Rainfall during these months was 
scattered and light, over several days, and was inadequate to start the seed growing. 
During the period September 17“30, 2.60 inches of rain fell, distributed over 6 days, 
which resulted in sprouting of alfalfa on many of the roadsides. However, October 
had less than an inch of rain for the whole month (0.62), over 2 inches below normal. 
Rainfall during the combined months of August, September, and October was 4.43 inches 
below normal, or only about 55 percent of normal precipitation for those 3 months. 
This lack of moisture could jeopardize the success of the seedings, although 
adequate spring rainfall could help to improve seedling vigor. 
3* Factors Inf1uencinq Pistribution and Abundance of Pheasants W. L. Anderson, 
D. R. Vance 
It was reported in the December 1 968 research letter (MWRL 11(12):2) that 
selected tissues from juvenile hen pheasants collected at Sibley (good range) and at 
Neoga (poor range) had been analyzed for 62 chemical elements. Twenty-three of these 
elements were present in detectable concent rations in the pheasant tissues. Statis¬ 
tical tests indicated that mean concentrations of eight elements in livers and one 
in blood differed significantly, Neoga hens compared with Sibley hens. Four of these 
(calcium, sodium, and lead in livers, and copper in blood) were less abundant, and 
five (aluminum, barium, strontium, titanium, and zirconium, all in livers) were more 
abundant in hens from Neoga than in hens from Sibley. On the basis of this informa¬ 
tion, plus published knowledge of the behavior of elements in biological systems, the 
pheasants from Neoga were possibly subjected to deficiencies of calcium and copper, 
and to excesses of barium and strontium. 
4. Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipu1 ation J. Ellis, P. Matthews 
Age and weight data collected from quail on the Forbes Area during 1966-68 were 
analyzed to determine the growth rate of quail on that area. A sample of 277 quail 
representing birds trapped in the fall and birds collected during the hunting season 
were used to plot a growth curve. The quail were aged to the nearest week by wing- 
molt criteria. Because individuals under 4 weeks did not occur in the sample, the 
age period represented was from 4 to 22 weeks. 
The quail demonstrated a remarkably constant rate of weight increase from 4 to 
10 weeks of age, averaging 12.5 grams increase per week, with an average standard 
deviation of 8.6 grams from the mean weight for each respective week. Thus, from 4 
to 10 weeks of age, quail were aged to within 1 week of accuracy by weight alone. 
A deflection in the growth rate of the quail occurred at 10 weeks of age and 
remained fairly constant until 13 weeks, a gain of 5-1 grams per week. The average 
standard deviation from the mean weight for each respective week was 9*7 grams, indi¬ 
cating too much variation to age birds accurately. At 14 weeks the mean weight was 
13 grams less than the mean weight at 13 weeks. The significance of this loss was 
not known. From 16 to 22 weeks the growth rate was virtually constant, 1.6 grams/ 
week -- a low rate of increase -- until the mature weight was reached. 
