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THE AUTOMOBILE AND FRAIRIE WILD LIFE 
W. Fe Flint 
THE death toll that the automobile takes of wild life on the 
Illinois prairie may be more of a benefit than a loss to man, 
Two thirds of the animals found dead on a section of state highway 
in a three year count taken by the Illinois State Natural History 
Survey, were from the human standpoint more or less undesirable. 
These conclusions proceed from a series of records 
kept from May 1, 1930 to December 31, 1932, on a 25 mile stretch 
of state highway 10 between Urbana and Oakwood, Illinois. This 
east and west concrete road is typical of central Illinois and 
connects Danville, a city of more than 36,000, with Champaign- 
Urbana, a little larger and home of the state university. 
The road passes through four towns of 100-800 population 
end close by two more ae che same size. Most of it is over level 
prairie and through a fertile farming erea. Two streams are 
crossed, the Salt Fork at St. Joseph and Stoney creek near 
Gakwood. Several pieces of woodland are near the road but not 
intercepted, The Illinois Traction system and the Feoria branch 
' of the Big Four railroad closely parallel the highway most of 
this distance, 
