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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



ulosum, A. cristatum), beech fern 

 (Phegopteris Dryopteris), club moss 

 (Lycopodium obscurum, L. clavatum, L. 

 annotinum, L. complanatum} , horsetail 

 (Equisetum pratense, E. sylvaticum), 

 Clintonia (Clintonia borealis), false 

 lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum cana- 

 dense), lady's slipper (Cypripedium 

 hirsutum, C. parviflorum C. acaule), rein 

 orchis (Habenaria hyperborea, H. obtu- 

 sata, H. dilatata, H. Hookeri, H. orbicu- 

 lata), coral root (Corallorrhiza trifida, 

 C. maculata), ladies' tresses (Spiranthes 

 gracilis S. cernua), Hepatica (Hepatica 

 triloba), northern strawberry (Frag aria 

 americana}, running swamp blackberry 

 (Rubue triflorus}, sundew (Drosera ro- 

 tundifolia), pitcher plant (Sarracenia 

 purpurea), dwarf cornel (Cornus cana- 

 densis), wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudi- 

 caulis), shin leaf (Pyrola secunda, P. 

 minor, P. chlorantha, P. asarifolia, P. 

 americana}, lungwort (Mertensia pani- 

 culata), twin flower (Linnaea borealis), 

 bedstraw (Galium trifidum, G. boreale, 

 G. triflorum}, Aster (Aster macrophyllus, 

 A. puniceus, A. junceus, etc.), golden- 

 rod (Solidago juncea, S. bicolor, S. 

 nemoralis etc.) and sweet coltsfoot 

 (Petasites palmatus, P. sagittatus). 



Within this formation soil factors 

 determined largely the plant communi- 

 ties. On the clayey moraines, which 

 constitute the best soil of the region, 

 were developed either pure stands of 

 white pine or mixed communities of 

 white pine with a few species of decidu- 

 ous trees like hard maple, bur oak, red 

 oak and occasionally basswood. Where 

 the soil is gravelly or sandy occurred 

 forests of Norway pine, while over all 

 the sandy barrens Jack pine held un- 

 disputed sway. All the low areas which 

 had reached the tree stage of their 

 succession, were either muskegs with 

 Sphagnum and heath undergrowth or 

 characteristic tamarack and spruce 

 swamps. 



In a similar way the distribution of 

 the shrubby and herbaceous under- 

 growth was largely determined by soil 

 and moisture conditions except in the 

 case of a few species like the dwarf 



cornel, twin flower, wild sarsaparilla, 

 the northern strawberry and the running 

 swamp blackberry, all of which seem to 

 grow equally well in the spruce-tamarack 

 swamps, and in the pine forests of the 

 moraines and gravelly outwash plains. 



A study of the fauna of the different 

 parts of Minnesota reveals a rather 

 striking correlation in regard to the 

 distribution of its various elements and 

 the principal vegetation areas. Aside 

 from a number of adaptable and wide 

 ranging species, belonging to several of 

 the major classes of the animal kingdom, 

 there are numerous forms which are 

 mainly and in some cases wholly con- 

 fined to the principal plant formations. 



Within the coniferous forest area 

 there occurred originally the following 

 species of mammals : Canada lynx (Lynx 

 canadensis), wolverine (Gulo luscus}, 

 marten (Martes americana}, fisher 

 (Martes pennanti}, least weasel (Mustela 

 rixosa}, short-tailed weasel (Mustela 

 cicognanii}, skunk (Mephitis mephitis}, 

 woodland caribou (Rangifer caribou) 

 moose (A Ices americana), northern, 

 Virginia deer (Odocoileus virginianus 

 borealis), long-tailed chipmunk 

 (Eutamias minimus neglectus}, Canada 

 woodchuck (Marmota monax cana- 

 densis), deer-mouse (Peromyscus 

 maniculatus gracilis}, Canada porcupine 

 (Erithizon dorsatum), snowshoe hare 

 (Lepus americanus phaeonotus}. 



The following northern birds occurred 

 as permanent residents of the coniferous 

 formation although straying further 

 south as winter visitants: Canada 

 spruce partridge, Richardson's owl, 

 Arctic three-toed woodpecker, American 

 three-toed woodpecker, Canada jay 

 northern raven, purple finch, red 

 crossbill, pine siskin, and Hudsonian 

 chickadee. 



Most of the following species are 

 mainly summer residents of the northern 

 wooded area of the state : Loon or great 

 northern diver, herring gull, red- 

 breasted merganser, golden-eye, north- 

 ern hairy woodpecker, Nelson's downy 

 woodpecker, northern pileated wood- 

 pecker, white-winged crossbill, white- 



