536 
fell from about 12 per cent during the 
1929-30 and 1930-31 seasons to only 6 
per cent during the 1938-39 and 1939-40 
seasons. Skunks produced about 7 per 
cent of the income for the period. Pos- 
sums, although generally caught in greater 
numbers than skunks, produced less than 
4 per cent of the income, because of rela- 
tively low pelt value. Red foxes yielded 
only about 3 per cent of the income, while 
gray foxes and long-tailed weasels held 
the lowest positions among the eight com- 
monly caught furbearers, together pro- 
ducing less than | per cent of the in- 
come. 
Muskrats constituted the leading in- 
come producer in most counties, but in 
some southern counties coons or minks 
took the lead. Although second place went 
to minks in most counties, coons and 
skunks took second place in some. 
FUTURE POSSIBILITIES 
It is important to recognize that the 
fur crop is in addition to all other crops 
and values realized from Illinois land and 
waters. In general, it has persisted not 
Ittinois NATURAL History SURVEY BULLETIN 
Vol. 22, Art. 7 
because of any favorable attention paid 
to it but in spite of what has been done. 
It comes from areas that are growing 
woods, pastures and even highly culti- 
vated crops; from streams filled with 
silt and sludge; from ponds so burned or 
grazed as to be barely suitable for pro- 
duction of anything at all; from land that 
has been abused so sadly that because of 
erosion it will no longer grow cultivated 
crops but has been given up to produce 
what it can. 
If every gully-scar now cutting deeper 
into Illinois’ fields were planted to pro- 
tecting vegetation, if every woodlot were 
properly managed by removal of stock 
and if every stream were kept reasonably 
clean of silt, sewage and commercial 
waste, then populations of furbearers, and 
game as well, would increase. 
If the protecting vegetation were sci- 
entifically chosen and if protected wood- 
lots were scientifically cut with reasonable 
attention to needs of furbearer and game 
populations, then both populations would 
increase substantially and supplement the 
income from soil saved and timber pro- 
duced. 
LITERATURE CITED 
Anonymous 
1939. Otter in’ Illinois, Ill, 'Cons74(2) 216. 
1943. Bobcats in Illinois? At least, there 
were! Ill? Cons 8(1)2 11° 
Bennitt, Rudolf, and Werner ©. Nagel 
1937. A survey of the resident game and 
furbearers of Missouri. Mo. Univ. 
Studies 12(2) : 1-215. 
Bonnell, Clarence 
1941. The introduction of wild life into 
southern Illinois. Ill Acad. Sci. Trans. 
34 (2) : 216-7. 
Brayton, A. M. 
1882. Report on the Mammalia of Ohio. 
Geol. Surv. Ohio Rept. 4(1) : 1-185. 
Cory, Charles B. 
1912. The mammals of Illinois and Wis- 
consin. Field Mus. Nat. Hist. Zool. 
Sere .153,(11) 31-5051 ius, 
Driver, E. C. 
1930. The fur yield of Illinois. Unpub- 
lished manuscript. Ill. Nat. Hist. 
Surv. 
Forbes, Stephen A. 
1912. The native animal resources of the 
state. Ill. Acad. Sci. Trans. 5: 37-48. 
© i E3. 
Frison, Theodore H. 
1931. State Natural History Survey. III. 
Blue Book 1931-32: 387-400. Illus. 
Economic problems of Illinois’ fields, 
forests, and streams solved by Natu- 
ral History Survey. Ill. Blue Book 
1933-34: 477-92. Illus. 
1938. Advances in the renewable natural 
resources program of Illinois. Ill. 
Acad. Sci.’ Trans. 3] (1): 19-34 
figs. 
Gregory, Tappan 
1936. Mammals of the Chicago region. 
Chicago Acad. Sci. Prog. Act. 7(2-3) : 
12-75. IHllus., bibliog. 
Illinois State Department of Conservation 
1935. Game and fish codes of Illinois in 
force July 1, 1935..sti2enp: 
1937. Game and fish codes of Illinois in 
force July 1, 193756122 enpe 
1939. Game and fish codes of Illinois in 
force July 1, 1939 1290or 
Kennicott, Robert 
1855. Catalogue of animals 
Cook County, Illinois. 
Soc, Trans. 1: 577-95: 
observed in 
Ill. State Ag. 
