NATURAL AltEAS AND RKGIONS 



Contains a great deal of information 

 of conditions as they occurred at tliat 

 time. Discusses geolosv, meteorology. 

 mammals, birds, reptiles, fishes, mol- 

 lusks, insects and plants. 

 Kansas University Quarlerlij, ^'olunics 



Contain many valuable papers on 

 Kansas animals and plants. State 

 lists of many groups are given and 

 many groups are monographed. Kan- 

 sas Univ. Geol. Swv. of Kans., Vols. 



Of geological interest. 

 Inman, Henry. The Old Santa Fe Trail. 

 Crane & Co., Topeka, 1899. Also, 

 The Great Salt Lake Trail. Crane & 

 Co., Topeka, 1899. 



Of historical interest. Descriptions 

 are given of many local areas. The 

 habits and distribution of many of 

 the early animals and plants are dis- 

 cussed. 



3. NEBRASKA 



By Robert H. Wolcoti 



i. general coxdition.s 



The altitude of Nebraska increases 

 from 810 ft. in the southeast corner to 

 53G0 ft. at the Wyoming line in Banner 

 County. The state as a whole may be 

 likened to a great inclined plane, rising 

 at the rate of 6 ft. per mile for the first 

 hundred miles, and faster and faster as 

 one proceeds westward until for the last 

 50 mi. the rise is 18 to 20 ft. to the mile. 

 The mean elevation is 3085 ft. 



The soils and physiographic features 

 are varied. Three soil regions have been 

 recognized: (1) The loess region, cor- 

 responding to the rolling i)rairies of the 

 eastern portion, includes loessplains and 

 hills, with various types of silt loams, 

 drift hills with drift, clay and sand, 

 alluvial plains, bluffs, canyons, very 

 little stony land, and very few rock 

 outcrops. (2) The sand-hill region, in 

 the central portion, is mostly dune sand 

 with sandy loams in the valleys, which 

 may be dry or wet, with hay flats, 

 marshes or lakes. (3) The high plains 

 in the western portion, the soils of wiiicli 

 vary from those of fine texture to those 

 of rough stony land, with frequent 

 rock outcroppings, includes broad pla- 



teaus, deep and Htecp-wullcci i • - 



l)old f.soarpiiic>nf.M, butt«-«, nixl ! l 



there ureuH of "bad land.'- 



.\1I of tlic drainaKi" of I In- .slaU- im into 

 the .\Ii>.souri HivcT, liltlr din-clly but 

 through IribiilarieH, such an the Ni- 

 oi)rar:«. (he IMat(«-, th«' two Nemnhan. 

 and tlic I'lhic and l{«"publiran l»y way oi 

 the Kiin.sa.s River. 



Tlie diinute i.s u typical ifdand rlimato, 

 witli hot summerp, mild dry wintcrH, and 

 sudden atui severe changes. The moan 

 annual temi)erature varies from over 

 ")2- in the soutliea.st to less than 45° 

 in the northwest. The nights insuminer 

 are generally eof)l especially in the more 

 elevated western |)ortion. The mean 

 annual rainfall decreases from over 33 

 in. in the southea.st to le.'^s than 15 in. 

 in the west ; moreover, run-ofl and evapo- 

 ration both increase greatly as one goes 

 westward. Seven-tenths of the rainfall 

 comes in the growing season, from .\pril 

 to .\ugust, and during the middle of this 

 period the climate of southeastern 

 Nebraska can almost be called humid. 

 The mean annual humidity varies from 

 about G7 to GO'/r. The mean wind 

 velocity is al)OUt 10 nn. per hour; being 

 somewhat greater in the west than in 

 the east. 



Five biotic regions may be dis- 

 tinguished: 



1. The Mi.ssouri-river blulT region. 

 Includes the iiottomlands and woodetl 

 bluffs of the Missouri river and the lower 

 portions of its trilnitaries. Ch. 

 terized by liroadleaf forest and tin 

 communities. Conspicuous habii 

 the rivers, with their shifting sand-bars; 

 the flood-plain thickets of willow .-uid 

 young cottonwoods and the tall bottom- 

 land timber in which cottonwoods are 

 prominent; cut-off pon<ls. nmrshes. and 

 SWiiinps; (he cool woodetl r 



springs !ind clear, ra|iid i 



i)lulTs with more open woodland.-* in 



wiiich arc oaks, ash, walnut. Ii 



linden, ;ind other siH>cies of il<. ... 



trees; and steep loc-^s l>!»nks, the r< 



of erosion; together with cleared areiw 



and cultivated fields. 



2. The prairie region lull gra-o* 



