GEOLOGY OF LAKE AND PORTER COUNTIES. 91 



Jiave been drained, their nnnibers do not apjDear to become appreciably 

 less. The remains of dams thrown np by the beaver, Ca^tm- fiber L., 

 are fonnd in a numljer of localities in l^ake County, l)ut'the animal 

 itself had disa])])eared liefore the coming of tlie first settlers. The 

 Avoodchnek, Arctomys monax (L.), is common among the upland 

 wooded ridges, as is also the cbipiuunk, Tamias striatus (L.). The 

 little striped gopher, Spennophilus tridecemlmeatus (Mitchell), is com- 

 mon on the prairies and anumg tlie sand ridges. The gray go])her, 

 S. franklini (Sabine), locally called tlie "prairie scpiirrel," was seen on 

 several occasions along hedge rows on the borders of prairies, and one, 

 which had already entered a state of hibernation, was captured, Octo- 

 ber (), in the large mound excavated near Boone Grove, Porter County. 



The fox squirrel, Sciurus niger L., is very scarce, but a few are said 

 to reside in the upland woods in Jackson Township, Porter County. 

 The gray squirrel, S. carolinensis Gmlin., and the little red squirrel 

 or chickaree, S. Imdsonicus Erx., are common in the timbered areas. 

 Jet-black specimens of the first named are occasionally seen. 



The otter, Lutra hiidsonica (Lacepede), was, in the early settlement, 

 quite common, and a few are yet taken almost every S]n"ing along the 

 Kankakee. The skunk, Mephitis mephitica Cuvier, and the mink, 

 Putorius vison (Schreber), are both rather connnon and both yield a 

 considerable annual revenue to the professional trapper. The large 

 gray timl)er wolf, Canis lupis L., once common, is still occasionally 

 seen in the region of the Kankakee marshes, three having been killed 

 by Oscar Dinwiddle in Eagle Creek Township, Lake Count}^, in 1895. 



About 16 additional species of mammals doubtless occur in the two 

 counties, but the above constitute all which came to my notice or to 

 which reference is made in my notes. 



Mr. A. W. Butler, in his work on Indiana Birds in the present 

 J.. J volume, has a number of notes pertaining to the birds of 

 this region. Por this reason no specific mention of those 

 noted is given in this connection. Proljably 235 or more species occur 

 in the counties during a single yeai'. Of these al)out 30 are permanent 

 residents, i. e., reside in tlie region throughout the year. Common 

 examples are the crow, blue-Jay and (juail. Probably 65 are summer 

 residents, i. c., arrive from the South in tlie S|)i-ing, nest and rear 

 their young, and depart soutliward again in Autumn. The orioles, 

 catbird and chipping spai'row belong to this group. About 10 are 

 winter residents, coming from the Xorth in Autumn and departing 

 northward in Spring, the snowbird and the tree sparrow being familiar 

 examples. Eight or ten are winter visitor-^, such as tlie great white 

 owl and t1ie I'cd cross-bill, which mav or nia\' nol npnc;)!' during tbe 



