August, 1955 
curtipendula locally abundant, covered 
both the rocky lower slope and the loess 
which capped the bluff. The loess had 
been badly disturbed by earth-moving op- 
erations to provide level homesites. 
Valmeyer.—When visited, this hill 
southwest-facing 
prairie occupied the 
Evers: Hiri Prarrtiés or ILLINOIS 
409 
was visited. An open mixture of trees and 
shrubs, with much Juniperus virginiana, 
surrounded the prairie openings, fig. 24. 
South along the bluffs large spurs were 
completely covered by prairie. The entire 
loess slope, with no visible rock outcrops, 
served as pastureland. This site was vis- 
Fig. 24.—Prairie openings at Chalfin Bridge, Monroe County. Prairie is visible on the 
parallel ridges between rows of red cedars which grow in the coves. 
slope of the ridge north of Monroe City 
Hollow about 3 miles south of Valmeyer, 
Monroe County, fig. 22. The site was 
visited September 2, 1949; April 22, May 
24, July 9, and August 30, 1950. Prairie 
covered almost 9 acres of the upper slope 
between the cliff and the crest of the bluff. 
Above the eroded cliff, fig. 23, the slope 
was stony; the upper part was loess. The 
east-facing slope at the highest part of 
the ridge supported a mixed forest; far- 
ther south along the ridge, prairie covered 
the upper east-facing slope and a mixed 
forest occupied the basal part of the slope; 
at the southernmost part of the ridge 
only mixed forest occurred. In some 
places the rock outcrops were merely small 
vertical drops separated by steep rocky 
slopes on which much Juniperus virgini- 
ana grew. In the prairie above the rocky 
slopes, Andropogon scoparius was the 
dominant grass; Psoralea tenuiflora was 
common. 
Chalfin Bridge.—Prairie openings oc- 
cupied the bluffs southeast of Chalfin 
Bridge, Monroe County, when this area 
ited August 30, 1950, and visited and 
photographed February 6, 1952. 
Fults.—This hill prairie located on the 
bluff south of Fults Creek, southeast of 
the village of Fults in Monroe County, 
was visited September 11, 1948; June 16 
and August 30, 1950; also May 24, 1951. 
It occupied about 12 acres, extended 0.6 
mile along the upper southwest-facing 
slope of the bluff-ridge, fig. 25. On the 
northwest part of the bluff-ridge, long 
prairie spurs descended from the bluff-top 
to a small rock outcrop with a vertical 
face 2 to 3 feet high, below which was a 
forest-covered rocky slope that formed the 
lower third of the bluff. The coves be- 
tween the long prairie spurs supported a 
mixed woodland. On the southeast part 
there was a high limestone cliff, and above 
it prairie covered both spurs and coves, 
which were there very poorly defined. 
Galium virgatum and Heliotropium te- 
nellum, rare in Illinois, grew on the lime- 
stone ledge. 
Renault.—Located about 2 miles south 
of Renault, Monroe County, this prairie 
