Peo ae DU BeOgNm@eB Unley hal oN 7 
native fish will re-establish within three months after application. . . The 
insecticide is not translocated into food plants. . . We have little data re- 
garding the effects of Heptachlor on cats or dogs drinking water from pud- 
dles in treated areas. . . it is possible that a cat might be killed, but less 
likely that a dog might.” 
300 Birds Die in Blue Island within Two Months 
From April 2 through May 25, 1959, over 300 birds were reported found 
dead; 37 of these were banded birds. This total of banded birds recovered 
far outnumbers the normal recovery rate (three to four birds of one species 
per year). Therefore, bird banding proves that Heptachlor killed most of 
these birds, probably 85 to 90 per cent. The banded birds were all recovered 
from the sprayed area. The dead birds only included species that normally 
nest, feed, and drink water here. Hundreds of other birds of the thrush, 
sparrow, and warbler families moved through the area at this time with 
no apparent ill effect. The following is a list of species of the birds and 
mammals that were found dead: 
Two dogs (plus one quite sick) Starlings 
Goldfish (backyard fish pond) Cardinal 
Goldfish and Bullheads (Beverly Cemetery lagoon) Cowbird 
Two Mallard ducks (Beverly Cemetery lagoon) Meadowlark 
Robins Brown Thrasher 
Grackles House Sparrows 
Nine birds were delivered to the State Natural History Survey, Section 
of Economic Entomology, for analysis. Their findings were as follows: 
JE EYE Paieivie 
Heptachlor Heptachlor 
Bird Date Died Epoxide Bird Date Died E'poxide 
Brown Thrasher 5-14-59 SED Grackle 4-29-59 10.3 
Robin 4- -59 9.4 Grackle 5-10-59 8.8 
Robin 4-22-59 iil Grackle 5-10-59 8.7 
Starling 4-27-59 ee Grackle 5- 1-59 8.2 
Grackle 4-24-59 13.0 
“The amount of Heptachlor found in the birds is definite, but the 
amounts found here are considerably lower than the amounts found in 
birds forwarded to us for analysis from areas treated for fire ant control 
in Alabama. This could mean northern birds are less hardy than the 
southern birds, and it takes less amounts of Heptachlor to kill them. Thus, 
we are inclined to feel that .. . these minimal amounts shown in the above 
chart may be attributable to the fact that fat was practically nil in their 
systems.” 
1959 Summer Without Birds 
Few, if any, summer resident birds were observed from mid-spring 
through the summer. The first robins within the area were noted during 
the last week of July. The first one was banded on July 30th, while in other 
years over 150 robins would have been banded during April, May, June, 
and July. 
