SOURCE OF ST. PETER's RIVER. 347 



The soil of the prairies is not uniform in quality ; in some 

 instances it was remarkably fine, and of an intense black co- 

 lour ; the grass, consequently, grew to a considerable size, 

 was luxuriant, and of a rich green hue. In other parts the 

 soil is sandy, grayish, and appears to be of an inferior quali- 

 ty ; its produce then presents a similar inferiority ; the 

 blades of grass are scattered, short, of a yellowish and 

 sickly aspect. The earth appears dry, and scorched with 

 the heat of the sun. 



The party had frequent opportunities of remarking the 

 difficulty which exists, to determine with accuracy the 

 nature or size of objects seen at a distance. Sand-hill cranes, 

 seen on the prairie, were by some of the company mistaken 

 for elks. 



Among the birds observed on the prairie, besides the sand- 

 hill crane, are the reed-bird, black-bird,* yellow-headed 

 black-bird,t the black-breasted tern ; J the last of which was 

 very abundant. Mr. Say shot the female of the Mergus cucul- 

 latus, and a blue-winged teal. Among the reptiles, besides 

 the common garter-snake,§ there was one with lateral red 

 spots. II A coluber, like the melanoleucus, but spotted, and 

 similar to that found on the Missouri, was killed on these 

 prairies. In several of the marshes, the huts of the musk- 

 rat were found very abundant. The herbarium was en- 

 riched by the addition of a beautiful specimen of the Li- 

 lium Philadelphicum, which was still seen flowering, though 

 it had nearly ceased to bloom. Another great ornament 

 of the prairies is the Lilium Superbum. The Gerardria was 

 still occasionally seen. This plant is, as we were inform- 

 ed, considered by the Indians to be a specific against the 



• Orlolus, [Zanthornus, Cuvier,] phoeniceus, 



f Oriolus, [Zanthornus, Cuvier,] icterocephalus. t Sterna. 



§ Coluber ordinatus. || Coluber parietalis. 



