DEPARTMENT OF                                       BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES

REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION                                 AND CONSERVATION

FRANK G. THOMPSON, DIRECTOR                             FRANK G. THOMPSON,
CHAIRMAN 
SPRINGFIELD                                       BIOLOGY  .  .  A. E. EMERSON

FORESTRY  .  .   L. H. TIFFANY 
GEOLOGY  .  .  W. H. NEWHOUSE 
ENGINEERING  LOUIS R. HOWSON 
CHEMISTRY   ROGER ADAMS 
STATE OF ILLINOIS       UNIVERSITY OF ILLINO1S- 
DWIGHT H. GREEN, GOVERNOR    PRESIDENT, GEORGE D. STODDARD 
STATE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY DIVISION 
7 L                HARLOW B. MILLS, CHIEF 
URBANA 
April 22, 1948 
Mr. A. e. Andrews 
Radio Station  O 
Ft. ayne, Indiana 
Dear Mr. Andrews 
C                 I think you have something on chiggers and pheasants that

is well worth looking into. After I jot your letter i started to 
quis the entomologists and veterinary people here to see what I 
Ocould learn about chiggers and wildlife. 
Dr. C. C. !Morril of the University of Illinois Veterinary 
College found that chiggers killed c number of young pheasants on 
the state game farm here a couple of seasons ago.  -hen the dead 
young birds were first sent to the lab the chiggers had dropped 
o*'f and he could find nothing wrong, but when he went to the game 
farsa he found the young pheas"ats vwere dyin, from tLis parasitism,

It is also reported that young domestic chicks are some- 
times killed by chiggers. 
.,e think t,,at we may possible be on the track of some 
other thinas that affect the reproduction of pheasants at this 
latitude, but tha k you for the very pertinent tip about chiggers. 
.,e will certainly be on the lookout for chiggers and related pars- 
sites during our pheasant work this summer. 
The Survey entomologists point out that chiggers are so 
small that the identification could be made for sure only with a 
microscope. They admit it is quite possible that the parasites 
on the pheasant hens in brown county were chimgers, but say that 
the related poultry mite lives in nest litter and sometimes causes 
domestic chickens to desert their nests. I presume that Mr. 'Weddle 
as a poultryman was familiar with differences between mite and 
chig~er infestations on the birds, but the scientists want proof 
on such matters.