486 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



catalpa (C. speciosa), which overlapped 

 the northern hardwoods. 



1. The southeastern swamp regions 

 inhabited by deer, bear, wolf, numerous 

 turtles, frogs, muskrat, herons, and 

 water birds. This is the only water 

 moccasin {Agkistrodon piscivorus) coun- 

 try; fish were once abundant in all 

 rivers and alligators rarely occur. 



2. The Mississippi bluffs and bottoms 

 north of this region needspecial mention; 

 as important for their variety of nut, 

 trees; for big game and fur animals; 

 and for immense locust, willow, ash; 

 sycamore, elm and other trees. Catfish 

 five feet long are still caught in the main 

 rivers and pearl-bearing mussels in 

 clear stream beds, as in upper Missis- 

 sippi and White Rivers. 



II. PRESENT CONDITIONS 



a. The prairie region is now the 

 principal agricultural district and the 

 most important blue grass region of the 

 world. Th3 original prairie vegetation 

 may be seen in many localities along 

 the railroads. Such timber as origi- 

 nally existed has been removed except 

 for very small scattered holdings of 

 black walnut. South and west the 

 prairie broom sedge {Andropogon vir- 

 ginicus), marsh grasses, big and little 

 blue stem {Andropogon furcatus and A. 

 scoparius) are most characteristic of a 

 winter landscape not touched by the 

 plow. 



The bison, elk, wolf, and deer have 

 long since disappeared from this region. 

 The prairie chicken is found only in a 

 few remote localities where protected, 

 e.g., Linn and Macon Counties. The 

 raccoon, gray squirrel, and many quail 

 still occur. 



b. In ths Ozark hardwood area, the 

 merchantable timber has been largely 

 removed leaving oak brush and park- 

 like red cedar groves of small stature, 

 but considerable areas of oaks, butter- 

 nut, hickories, and persimmon remain 

 in a natural state in the remote parts 

 of the Ozarks; and in the southwest, 

 pecans. Deer, wolves, and turkeys 

 still occur. The region least modified 



is in the south central counties of the 

 Missouri Ozarks where "prairie schoon- 

 ers" are commonly seen along roads and 

 in the big towns, like Neosho. In the 

 streams will be found bass, goggle-eyed 

 perch, redhorse, and other game fish, 

 and in the spring "branches," trout. 



c. The southeastern portion of the 

 state has lost most of its original timber 

 and has even lost its recent small in- 

 dustry for dealers in frogs, turtles, 

 water birds, snakes, etc. 



d. Pollution of th3 larger streams is 

 inevitable with the large cities along 

 their banks. The Missouri is famed for 

 its turbid water, which permeates the 

 Mississippi some miles below their 

 junction. The Mississippi is clear above 

 the junction, yet the Missouri is said 

 to be better cleared of disease germs by 

 action of the muddy water. Unpol- 

 luted waters are Cedar Creek, Flat 

 Creek, Crane Creek, Spring River, 

 Mt. Vernon Spring Branch, Bennets 

 Spring Branch, Lake Hahatonka, Blue 

 Spring Creek, Paydown Creek, Current 

 River, Merimec Spring, Little Piney, 

 Big Piney, Roaring River, Sugar Creek, 

 Greer Spring Branch, and part of Eleven 

 Point River. 



III. NATURAL AREAS 



1. Fish and game and bird preserves 



just starting — 1924 



Conservation has been largely at a 

 standstill, but the laws now provide 

 for buying state parks from game De- 

 partment funds and four will soon open. 



a. No game preserves are on leased 

 second growth. The St. Louis game 

 park in Taney County, 20 mi. south of 

 Forsythe, Mo.; and the Van Cleave 

 Park in Henry County, near Clinton, 

 Mo. 



b. Fish preserves are set aside at 

 hatcheries in St. Louis, Springfield, and 

 Neosho, Mo. 



c. The areas set aside primarily as 

 bird sanctuaries are very lirnited. There 

 is a prairie chicken reserve in Baker and 

 Locust Creek Townships, Linn County. 



2. Available areas representative of the 

 prairie section {altitude 700 to 1100 ft.) 



of the state 



Prairie chicken prairies. fB4) 2. Sev- 

 eral thou.=iand acres of heavily grazed 



