EARLY SUMMER HORIZONS FROM MILTON TOWN- 

 SHIP, DUPAGE COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 



With a desire to respond to our editor's request for "June horizons," 

 and also to ascertain in a measure the standing of 'our breeding birds, a 

 number of trips were arranged by the writer in June, and one during 

 July, of the present season of 1899, to widely separated parts of this 

 township. A few late May records taken at Glen Ellyn were also 

 thought desirable to include as well. 



Briefly, the County of DuPage may be described as a prairie county, 

 rolling generally in character ; this marked feature of its make-up per- 

 haps reaching its best development right here in Milton, the most central 

 of its townships. The drainage of this particular locality lies chiefly in 

 the direction of the East DuPage, a now rather insignificant stream 

 flowing in a southerly course from here, but doubtless of no little im- 

 portance during the early period of its career. The valley proper of 

 the East DuPage is rather depressed and from one-eighth to nearly a 

 mile wide in places. This statement may be repeated when referring to 

 the West Branch of the DuPage River, and will also hold true to a 

 certain extent with Salt Creek, a tributary to the DesPlaines River, a 

 few miles to the eastward of Glen Ellyn. 



The surface of the entire county, the geologists tell us, is of Morainic 

 origin, being fully attested to and well illustrated in the sedementary and 

 gravelly ridges bordering the streams. There are also other evidences of 

 the drift, or ice period, at hand in the numerous surface boulders dis- 

 tributed here and there throughout the entire section. In addition to 

 the smaller creeks tributary to the river and its branches, there are 

 several systems of disconnected sloughs, each trending in one or another 

 direction towards the natural drainage outlets, and marking the courses 

 at present of all that now remains of ancient glacial feeders. 



The forest growth of this section, somewhat sparse, is in the main 

 confined to these several ridges and elevated flats bordering the streams 

 and at the present time made up of detached groves, owing to much of 

 the original woodland having been cut into and materially reduced and 

 changed in area during the time in which the county has been settled. 

 Still when we take into consideration the orchards, hedges and shade trees. 



