THIRD ANNUAL MEETING 67 



the vicinity of streams, where it forms a fringe from a half mile to 

 two miles in breadth. In making a survey of the bad lands it soon 

 became evident that the region was possessed of forms peculiar to 

 itself, and entirely distinct from those found in the sage brush country. 

 Owing to this fact I shall make two faunal subdivisions of the Hat 

 Creek Basin. 



Bad Lands Area. — This barren alkaline waste, the "inauvaises terres" 

 of the early French voyageurs, supports vegetation only along the 

 partially dry watercourses. Back from these there is scarcely a vestige 

 of plant growth. In such an unforbidding region one would scarcely 

 expect to find much evidence of bird and mammal life*; yet, as we 

 shall see later, several species of birds find here a congenial summer 

 home, and a few mammals live in the roughest portions among the 

 rocks. 



Cottonwoods {Poptilus deltoides) form a narrow fringe along portions 

 of Bad Land and Prairie Dog creeks, and rarely there is a thicket of 

 Buffalo Berry {Lcparyyrca argcntata). At the heads of several bad-land 

 draws a heavj^ growth of RJius trUohata was noted. The Sand Cherry 

 (Pniniis piimila), Rosa woodsii, and Aragallus lambertii grow in gravelly 

 soil, while in damp places such leguminous species as Amorplia fruticosa 

 and Astraoalus muUiflorus grow in rank profusion. 



The breeding birds of the Bad Lands Area are the Western Lark 

 Sparrow, the Arkansas Flycatcher, the Kingbird, the Red-winged Black- 

 bird, the White-rumped Shrike, Bullock's Oriole, Say's Phoebe, the 

 Killdeer, and McCillivray's Warbler ('?). 



The following mammals occur sparingly' : Tamias minimus, Lepiis sp. 

 (probably bailey i). Mephitis hudsonica, Vulpes velox, Canis nebrascensis. Two 

 species of toads were collected here and nowhere else. A horned toad 

 {Phrynosoma douglassi) was common. 



Sage Brush Plains Region. — The western subdivision of the Hat Creek 

 Basin covers an area of some IGO square miles and comprises the 

 valleys of Indian, Antelope, Squaw, Jim, and Warbonnet creeks, together 

 with the low connecting divides. The latter support a rather dense 

 growth of cactus as well. 



As before stated, the characteristic plants are the Sage Brush {Arte- 

 misia tridentata), the Prickly Pear {Opuntia polyacantha), and two species 

 of Cactus. In addition we find growing here Yucca sp., Rosa arkansana, 

 Ribes floridum, Hymenopappus filifolins, Argemone intermedia, Eriogontim 

 ainiuum, Lcpargyrea argcntea, Artemisia cana, Chitierrzia euthamiw, Sar- 

 cobatus vermiculatus, and Amorpha canescens. Along streams in the south- 

 ern portion of the region such deciduous trees as the Box-elder (Acer 

 ncgundo). the Elm (Ulmus amrricana), the Black Willow {Salix nigra), and 

 the Black Birch (Bettila occidentaU.s), are foiind. 



Bird life is abundant and varied. The following were found to be 



*In prehistoric times it was far different. Then the region fairly teemed with ani- 

 mal life, as evidenced by the numerous remains of the monster Titanotherium. the 

 Oreodon and such peculiar beasts as the Saber-toothed Cat, the Three-toed Horse, etc. 



