6 THE, AU Dw BeOUNe (RB UD E haiae 
PRAIRIE CHICKEN REFUGE PURCHASED 
By RAYMOND MOSTEK 
THE BOARD OF DELEGATES of the Prairie Chicken Foundation of Illinois 
have announced the purchase of the Smithenry farm near Bogota in Jasper 
County as the site of the first Prairie Chicken Refuge under their new 
program. This 77-acre tract is now inhabited by a flock of some 65 to 70 
Prairie Chickens. The action was taken at the meeting of the foundation in 
Springfield on July 8, 1961. A sum of $1,500 has been deposited as a down 
payment, with the balance to be paid by March 1, 1962. With a little more 
than $4,000 in the treasury the Prairie Chicken Foundation must raise a 
sum of $14,165.15 within six months! The Foundation urges all of those who 
have made contributions in the past and those who have not, to send in gen- 
erous contributions to the Prairie Chicken Foundation of Illinois, 819 N. 
Main St., Rockford, Ill. Those donating $100.00 or more will have a section 
of land named after them, or in memory of some person they wish to honor. 
Your contribution is most earnestly requested NOW. 
This spring’s official count indicates that there are less than one thou- 
sand Prairie Chickens left in Illinois. None is believed to exist now in the 
Lee County Conservation Area; the birds apparently disappeared this year. 
The Department of Conservation is providing emergency habitat plantings 
on some state properties in southern Illinois. Other areas, such as oil lands, 
are being considered for short-term leasing as temporary refuges. 
The Bogota tract is the first of several refuges which must be bought 
and kept as permanent reserves if the Prairie Chicken is to survive in IIli- 
nois. Conservationists should remember, too, that every tract of land set 
aside also serves as a refuge for other upland birds. The situation is critical. 
Hope is high. We have been getting excellent cooperation from state agen- 
cies. We are certain that Illinois Audubon Society members everywhere 
will respond to this urgent appeal. 
615 Rochdale Circle, Lombard, IIl. 
sa ssl a 
State Natural History Survey Publication 
Wins National First-Place Award 
WINTER FOODS OF THE BOBWHITE IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS, one of the 1960 
technical bulletins of the State Natural History Survey Division, was 
awarded a plaque and two certificates for excellence of general content, 
accuracy, layout, and readability by the American Association for Conserva- 
tion Information at its recent annual meeting held at Sylvan Lake in the 
Black Hills of South Dakota. Edward J. Larimer, author of the publication, 
was formerly a technical staff assistant of the Natural History Survey. 
His research was carried on while he was working toward his master’s de- 
gree at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Mr. Larimer is now a 
biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 
The bulletin on quail foods was reviewed in the December, 1960 issue 
(No. 116) of the Audubon Bulletin, p. 16. Single copies may be obtained 
free from the Section of Wildlife Research, State Natural History Survey 
Division, Urbana, IIl. 
