eh ete Usb ous BON BU lek TY PN 5 
can range from as simple a job as folding letters to as exac.ing a duty as 
speaking out against chemical spraying before a town council. You alone 
know what you can do best. But whatever that is—look up the appropriate 
chairman and volunteer your services. If you know his address, write to him 
directly; if not, write to the President. 
3. Regional Secretaries Appointed 
THE FEBRUARY 1962 J. A. S. Newsletter contained an article entitled, 
“Regional Secretaries Wanted.” These Secretaries were to aid Committee 
Chairmen in handling correspondence and help to stimulate membership in 
their local areas. So far, four Regional Secretaries have volunteered and 
are now actively at work: 
Northern Area: Mrs. Kenneth V. Fiske, R. R. 3, Woodstock, Illinois. 
Central Area: Elizabeth F. Peacock, R. R. 1, Lincoln, Illinois. 
Western Area: Harlan D. Walley, R. F. D., Sheridan, Illinois. 
Chicago Area: Edward F. Lueben, 7 S. Sleight St., Naperville, Ill. 
Additional Secretaries are needed in the Chicago Area and Southern [llinois. 
Can YOU help? 
Sy et fe ot 
Wildlife Back To Normal Again 
By Karl E. Bartel 
AFTER MANY MONTHS of enforced observation of the negligible bird life 
of a hospital environment, Blue Island’s naturalist-bird bander has found 
that the birds and other wild animals of the Blue Island area, after almost 
two years of absence, are again back to their normal numbers. 
In a previous article (see The Audubon Bulletin, No. 114, June, 1960, 
pp. 6-8), I described my findings after the devastation of March 17-18, 1959. 
Two dogs, scores of goldfish in ponds, two mallards, and hundreds of robins, 
grackles, starlings, cardinals, cowbirds, meadowlarks, thrashers, and spar- 
rows, were found dead in the ensuing days. Thirty-nine of the birds had 
been banded. On those two days, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 
Plant Pest Control Division, treated the Blue Island area by airplane with 
Heptachlor granules to destroy Japanese beetles. Even a year later, birds 
were still being found dead in large numbers. 
Although the die-off waned after about eight months, many birds were 
found dead during the 1960 nesting season. Hundreds were reported to 
local naturalists and to the neighborhood pet shop owner. The year 1959 
was a summer without birds, and to a lesser degree, so was the year 1960. 
The Common Grackle was the only species that made a fast comeback. Car- 
dinals, House Wrens, Catbirds, Brown Thrashers, and Robins were either 
absent or in such low numbers that one could count them on one hand: 
Although no dead wrens, catbirds, or thrashers were found, I am sure that 
some were killed by the treatment. My hypothesis is that these species, 
seeking food in order to survive, quickly moved to areas where food was 
available. 
The following data was not previously reported: as part of my observa- 
tions in 1960, I sent five dead birds to the State Natural History Survey 
for chemical analysis. All were fresh birds picked up over one year after 
the treatment. Heptachlor Epoxide was found in the following quantities: 
PITS. c.c:8s 2.20 ppm (parts per million) Robins 5.384 ppm. 
POO. 5 2... 1.90 ppm. Raebirsis. 23 1.29 ppm. Grackle........ 0.00 ppm. 
