404 
parius was the dominant grass. Bouteloua 
curtipendula, as well as B. hirsuta, was 
scattered throughout. Polygala incarnata 
grew on the bluff top, and drtemisia cau- 
data grew as scattered individuals in the 
sandy loess. This prairie, which served 
as pastureland, was visited September 15. 
Ittinois NaturAL History Survey BULLETIN 
Vol. 26, Art. 5 
Psoralea tenuiflora, Onosmodium  occi- 
dentale, and Ambrosia coronopifolia. 
Walnut Creek.—The site of this 2- 
acre prairie occupies one southwest- and 
two west-facing spurs of the bluff north 
of which Walnut Creek enters the Illi- 
nois River valley in the northwest quar- 
Fig. 18.—Spurs of Mud Creek hill prairie (center of picture) in northwest Morgan County. 
In the distance beyond the Mud Creek prairie are slopes, some of which support prairie. 
1949; July 6, 1950; May 18, 1951; and 
March 25, 1952. 
Northeast Meredosia was the first of 
those hill prairies along the I|linois River 
observed by A. G. Vestal, who visited it 
in the spring of 1931 in company with 
James M. Schopf and Herman B. 
Wascher. They were impressed by the 
persistence of native prairie vegetation 
and by the lack of serious erosion on the 
steep loess slopes, over which the continu- 
ous trampling of cattle had worn steplike 
cowpaths. 
Bluffs.—When this site was visited 
July 6, 1950, a mixture of prairie and for- 
est covered about 8 acres of the west- 
facing slope of the bluff in the southwest 
quarter of section 10, T. 15 N., R. 13 
W., north of Bluffs, Scott County. Prai- 
rie species included Lespedeza capitata, 
ter of section 26, T. 14 N., R. 13 W., 
about 4+ miles west of Winchester, Scott 
County. When visited August 13, 1950, 
and April 24 and May 18, 1951, the base 
of the slope contained a mixture of prairie 
and shrubbery. The spur slopes contained 
prairie, with Andropogon scoparius the 
dominant grass. The coves between the 
spurs supported prairie and some woody 
plants. The top of the ridge was very 
weedy. Walnut Creek prairie was used 
as a horse pasture. 
North Eldred.—Located in section 
16, T. 10 N., R. 13 W., 2 miles norm 
of Eldred, Greene County, this prairie 
in 1949 and 1950 covered several spurs on 
the upper slope of the bluff. The spur di- 
rectly above the cemetery at the base of 
the bluff was heavily pastured; the spurs 
to the south of this were also pastured but 
