20 THE, <AsU (De Uy BtOCN SB UL Aree 
lecturer, vice-president of the Florida Audubon Society, and former editor 
of Audubon Magazine. For more details, write to the Audubon Colony, 
Sherwood Forest, Cedar Mountain, N. C. 
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Pesticides Slaughter Wildlife 
By J. W. Galbreath 
OUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, The Journal, published the accompanying 
picture on November 28, 1962, following spraying of 4 lbs. of dieldrin per 
acre on an area that included the game preserve and nature study district 
behind East St. Louis Senior High School on Nov. 20-21, 1962. George 
Smith, at left, a conservation inspector, and Willam Hewitt, an advisory 
board member of the Illinois Conservation Department, are shown holding 
dead rabbits, juncoes, and quail picked up in the area a few days after 
the spraying. 
They estimated that 
all animals — possibly 
250 rabbits, 300 quail, 
and unknown numbers 
of . songbirds ==="shad 
been killed. The De- 
partment of Agricul- 
ture sprayed the area 
by hand from a truck 
to “control’ Japanese 
beetles. Commented 
Mr. Hewitt: “We’ve got 
to have laws against 
promiscuous use of in- 
secticides and pesticid- 
es to keep youngsters 
from being poisoned.” 
Hewitt noted that De- 
partment of Agricul- 
ture officials would not 
believe him when he 
told them that many 
animals had died. 
“When they came out 
here and sawaethe 
animals today, all they did was shake their heads.” The officials do not 
notify the Conservation Department of spraying plans. The preserve had 
been stocked previously by the state agency. Other areas of the city were 
sprayed. 
The nature area has not been posted because no hunting is permitted 
here. After making his inspection, Hewitt observed: “This area used to be 
full of wildlife — now there isn’t a living thing.” The Conservation Depart- 
ment, he said, will press again for a law regulating use of pesticides in 
the current session of the Illinois Legislature. 
9405 Richfield Road, East St. Louis, Ill. 
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