132 BULLETIN OF THE 



confined to the immediate vicinity of the streams, often to their beds, 

 but generally occurs in thin, irregular belts or scattered clumps, and 

 ceases entirely a few miles to the westward. The Smoky is already 

 quite destitute of trees as far west as Fort Hays, and they soon disap- 

 pear from the Saline. The observations on which the following notes 

 are based are the result of about thirty-five days spent consecutively in 

 the field, during which time an area of country of from fifteen to thirty 

 miles' radius was quite thoroughly explored. The belt of timber along 

 Big Creek, preserved on the Military Reservation at Fort Hays, 

 afforded by far the richest field, though some species were obtained on 

 the Saline, and during a single day's hunt on Big Timber Creek, that 

 were not met with on Big Creek. A longer time spent on Big Timber 

 would dojibtless have added several other woodland species to the list 

 here given. In further description of the locality, it may be added that 

 the trees consist mainly of the white and red elms, the ash-leaved 

 maple, cottonwoods, black-walnut, and ash. Most of these trees assume 

 a spreading form, and grow to a large size. There is little under- 

 growth, except where the first growth has been removed, as it has been 

 to a large extent on most of the streams within fifteen to twenty miles 

 of the post. The undergrowth consists mainly of sumach, dwarf-plum, 

 and Amorpha fruticosa. In proportion to the amount of timber, the 

 tree-nesting species are very abundant, and their nests are easily found, 

 frequently half a dozen pairs of nearly as many species breeding in a 

 single tree. 



The " Plains " are here, as usual, somewhat rolling broad level 

 plateaus, being separated by low ridges, or broken by sharp ravines and 

 moist hollows. They are covered with short grass, usually but two or 

 three inches high, except in the hollows and near the streams, where it 

 often grows to the height of one or two feet. On the plateaus and 

 ridges, in consequence of the excessive heat and scanty fall of rain, the 

 grass becomes parched and dry during the latter half of June, and for 

 the rest of the year the landscape wears an arid and forbidding aspect, 

 relieved only by the deep green foliage of the trees along the streams. 

 During May and much of June, however, the fresh young grass is 

 thickly dotted with a variety of showy flowers, which vary the land- 

 scape with their respective tints. They are mainly social plants, and, 

 growing thickly, their bright colors are conspicuous, giving their several 

 hues to lanrc areas. Most characteristic amon"r them are Malvastrum 



