I mA) 
oe 
| REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND MAMMALOGIST. 451 
- 
at Ate 
ie) 
‘ 
_ erooked valley in the prairie, which contains much brush and small timber and 
occasional grassy flats. Along its course through the flats its banks support a thick 
growth of brush and small trees, mostly willows, box elder, and plum. 
_ The’ prairie which bounds the lakes and flats rises as a steep bank probably more 
. than 200 feet above the level! of the lakes, and is cut into by numerous ravines which 
are washed out by water and contain more or less timber and brush. There are no 
sloughs. The soil is mostly gravelly clay. Along the edge of the prairie are 
numerous Indian mounds and earth works. 
My observations were made principally on the prairie on both sides of the valley, 
and along the brushy and wooded valley of the Minnesota River, west of Lake Trav- 
erse ; also in a wooded ravine on the east side, 1 mile from the south end of Lake 
Traverse. 
Flandreau, Moody County, Dak. 
The country about Flandreau is all prairie, except along the river bottoms, where 
there are strips and thickets of brush with a few trees. There are no sloughs or 
“marshes except a few old river courses on the flats. The surface is quite hilly near 
the river flats, but back from these is mostly level. The soil is a gravelly clay. 
Ortonville, Big Stone County, Minn. 
Ortonville is situated on the east side and near the south end of Big Stone Lake. 
The lake is about 35 miles long and from 1 to 2 wide. The shore is mostly steep 
and stony, but in some places is low and bordered with coarse grass, rushes, and 
reeds. From the shore of the lake the ground slopes back gradually a little way, 
and then rises in a line of very steep, high hills, or rather banks, for they rise only 
to the level of the prairie, which is about 150 feet above the lake. 
There is u growth of small timber and brush on the low ground near the lake, on 
the points of land extending into it, on the islands, and in the numerous ravines 
which extend back into the high ground. But few of the trees are large. The 
principal kinds are basswood, box-elder, elm, and ash, with a few bur-oaks. The 
surrounding country is all prairie, slightly rolling and with some smail marshes, but 
I have not seen any sloughs. The soil is mostly clay; it is very stony, with granite 
and lime-rock bowlders. Springs of very cold, pure water are numerous all along 
the foot of the hills and in the ravines, where they form little brooks. The land is 
rich, am! the prairie is covered with a thick growth of grasses and other plants, 
many of which are decidedly western. Species of the pulse family abound, espe- 
cially Astragalus caryocarpus. 
Fort Sisseton, Marshall County, Dgk. 
The country about Fort Sisseton is much broken, ofte ing in high hills, with 
numerous large sloughs which are strongly alkaline. Genggally the slopes are long 
and gradual, but in some places, especially near the, sloughs, they are steep and 
bank-like. There is no drainage system, not a creek or river for 35 or 40 miles. The 
soil is gravelly clay, very productive, and vegetation is generally rani. 
_ Patches of thick brush and scrubby trees, mostly oak, bass, and ash, occur along 
the borders of the sloughs, and in some places over the hills. Occasionally there is 
a large oak, elm, or cottonwood, but large timber is scarce. 
Harwood, Cass County, Dak. 
The land about Harwood is level prairie, unbroken, except by the timber along the 
streams, which is continuous and from one-half to 1 mile in width. This titnber is 
mostly elm, box-elder, willow, and oak, and many of the trees are large and thrifty 
The river flows between high, steep banks. The open land is all under cultivation 
The fields of wheat, oats, and barley form one almost continuous body and yield 
large crops. 
Animal life shows more of the characteristics of timber than of prairie land. 
Some species, not being crowded into small groves as on the prairie general v. are 
not so numerous, while others occur which are not met with in any of the locu:ities 
previously visited. 
Grand Forks, Grand Forks County, Dak. 
The region about Grand Forks is a level prairie, about 25 feet above low water in 
the Red River. There is a strip of timber (bur-oak, cottonwood, basswood, elm, 
7 
EAN TTA Dig TIT A EEE Ce Oe Le RE RNS rT Ry Cy Te 
vue Pe tee Bee Ore ee Sf. pe ‘s : wis, 
> ao hieeaS , ! 7 
Bad 
ale 
“% 
. 
