12 Charles E. Bessey 



deer, rabbits, woodchucks and a few other quadrupeds. Such 

 fruits as are carried short distances and then dropped whole, or 

 partially eaten, may supply seeds from which new trees may 

 spring. This species is abundant in the Missouri forests, from 

 which it has extended its range into Nebraska along the Missouri 

 River and up the Niobrara River to Brown County (25). It 

 has been distributed up the Nemaha River valley to Gage County, 

 and the Platte River valley to Butler County. 



The Hawthorns (Crataegus spp.). The fleshy fruits are in 

 fact little apples with bony instead of papery carpels. The flesh 

 is palatable and the fruits are eaten by many quadrupeds (as 

 swine, cattle, sheep, horses, deer, rabbits, etc.) and by some birds 

 which are attracted by the bright colors in most of the species. 



Blackthorn (Crataegus touientosa L.) occurs in the Missouri 

 forests, from which it has moved up the river into the south- 

 eastern counties, from Richardson to Lancaster and Douglas 

 (26). 



Downy Haw (Crataegus inollis (T. & G.) Scheele) occurs in 

 the Missouri forests, and has extended its range apparently with 

 the preceding species to Lancaster and Douglas counties (27). 



Red Haw (Crataegus Colorado Ashe) is probably a western 

 species which has moved down into the Sandhill region, where 

 it occurs along the banks of the Dismal and Middle Loup rivers 

 in Thomas County (28). 



Thorny Haw (Crataegus occidcntalis Britt.) is a native of 

 Colorado, Wyoming and Montana from which it has moved down 

 the Niobrara River to Cherry, Brown, Rock, Holt, Keya Paha, 

 Boyd and Knox counties. It occurs also on the Middle Loup 

 River in Thomas County (29). 



Juneberry (Amclanchier canadcusis (L.) Med.). The little 

 hard-seeded apples have a soft edible flesh which is greedily 

 eaten by birds. Many of the seeds pass through the alimentary 

 canal uninjured and are thus distributed over considerable dis- 

 tances. This species occurs in the Missouri forests, from which 

 it has moved up the valley of the Missouri River as far as Sarpy 

 County (30). 



22 



