NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



275 



song sparrow, migrant shrike, catbird, 

 goldfinch, and many insects. 



Mesophytic grassland species. 



Prairie chicken, prairie jumping- 

 mouse (Zapus hudsonius campestris) , 

 badger (occasionally). 



4- Grassland or Steppe. For a short 

 distance east of the western border, 

 especially in the S.W. over what is 

 known as the Coteau des prairies and 

 to a lesser extent on dry slopes and 

 along the bluffs of the river valleys 

 the flora assumed a more typical western 

 aspect since it was in these habitats 

 that many of representatives of the 

 great plains flora found congenial sur- 

 roundings. Here flourished beard- 

 tongues (Pentstemon grandiflorus, P. 

 albidus, P. gracilis}, puccoons (Lithos- 

 permum canescens, L. Gmelini, L. 

 augustifolium) , purple avens (Geum 

 triflorum), several milk vetches (Astraga- 

 lus adsurgens, A. lotiflorus, A. mis- 

 souriensis, A. flexuosus}, loco weed 

 (Oxytropis Lambertii), evening prim- 

 roses (Oenthera serrulata, Oe. pallida, 

 Oe. rhombipetala) , yellow flax (linum 

 rigidum, L. sulcaium), blazing stars 

 (Liatris scariosa, L. cylindracaea, L. 

 punctata), cone flowers (Lepachys pin- 

 nata, L. columnaris, Brauneria pur- 

 purea), numerous wormwoods (Artemisia 

 longifolia, A. dracunculoides,A.frigida\ 

 golden aster (Chrysopsis villosa) and 

 several others. 



The pronghorn antelope (Antilocapra 

 americana) was a characteristic form; 

 vast herds of Bison (Bison bison} ex- 

 ceeded in size the eastward extension; 

 ground-squirrel (Citellus richardsonii) , 

 pocket-gopher (Geomys bursarius), 

 badger, white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus 

 townsendii campanius}. Even the griz- 

 zly bear is reported to have extended as 

 far east as the Red River in the region 

 of the Pembina Hills. Other species 

 which were common throughout the 

 greater extent of this area were : prairie 

 red fox (Vulpes regalis), coyote (Cam's 

 latrans), badger, pocket-gopher, white- 

 tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii 

 companius). 



The avian fauna of the prairie region 



in the early days was even more impres- 

 sive than the mammalian. The in- 

 numerable lakes, ponds, sloughs, and 

 marshes offered ideal feeding and nest- 

 ing grounds to a large number of water 

 birds. No less than 25 species of ducks 

 are known to have occurred and 17 of 

 these used to breed in the state. Most 

 of these occurred in greatest abundance 

 in the prairie region. Four species of 

 geese, the snow goose, the blue goose, 

 the white-fronted goose and the Canada 

 goose, used to be very common and the 

 whistling and trumpeter swans alighted 

 on the lakes and streams in great num- 

 bers during their migrations. 



Among the bird species more strictly 

 confined to the grassland region of 

 Minnesota should be mentioned the 

 western grebe, eared grebe, Swainsons 

 hawk, burrowing owl, Arkansas king- 

 bird, Brewers blackbird, chestnut-col- 

 lared longspur, McCown's longspur, 

 Baird's sparrow, lark bunting and 

 Spragues pipit, while the following had 

 a somewhat more extended range: 

 Forster's tern, Franklin's gull, black- 

 crowned night heron, Krider's Hawk, 

 prairie chicken and prairie sharp-tailed 

 grouse. 



For notes on Mollusca see under 

 Wisconsin. 



II. PRESENT BIOTIC CONDITIONS 



Most of the original prairie area of 

 Minnesota has been converted into 

 farm lands and only such portions as 

 are either too low and swampy or too 

 alkaline or in other ways unsuited for 

 growing crops have remained undis- 

 turbed. Of the original prairie vegeta- 

 tion there are only remnants to be found 

 along old highways, along the railroad 

 rights-of-way, and on tracts of untillable 

 soil. Fortunately several of the smaller 

 state parks are located in this part of the 

 state and help to preserve original 

 conditions. 



The fauna inhabiting the prairie part 

 of the state has suffered the greatest 

 destruction, many noteworthy species 

 having completely disappeared long ago. 

 Of the birds which once were common 



