THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 13 
and Hyde (134x34 miles), The lakes are all connected with 
each other and with Lake Michigan by sluggish bayous and the 
Calumet River. The entire southeastern region is drained by 
the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet rivers into Lake Michi- 
gan. The northern part of the area is drained into Lake 
Michigan by the branches of the Chicago River, and the central 
and western portionis drained into the Illinois River, and finally 
into the Mississippi by the Desplaines River and its small 
branches, and the DuPage River with east and west branches, 
which empties into the Desplaines in the western part of Will 
County. Inthe northwestern portion of Cook County there are 
several small streams which drain into Fox River. Most of the 
area outside the lake basin has a black prairie soil and the 
streams are bordered by more or less dense woodlands. ‘‘With- 
in the lake basin there is a clay surface upon which are sand 
and gravel ridges covered with oaks, and between which are 
swamps and beds of peat.” (Higley & Raddin. ) 
ii LOCALITIES OF SPECIAL INTEREST. 
There are a number of particularly interesting localities in 
the area, of which the following are the most important: 
Morcan Park.—Just west of Morgan Park, in the township 
of Worth, lie a number of sloughs and small ponds in which a 
variety of species of mollusks abound. The soil here is of a 
black, clayey loam, from ankle to knee deep. The waterin the 
ponds in summer is from knee to waist deep. The whole 
country in this region is rolling, the ridges being separated by 
slough covered prairies. During the spring, when floods occur, 
the region is converted into a miniature sea. Numerous species 
of birds gather here to feed upon the mollusks, and the locality 
is one equally as well suited for the ornithologist as for the con- 
chologist. The drainage is into the Little Calumet River and 
thence to Lake Michigan. 
Maywoop.—This locality is situated ten* miles west of 
Chicago, in Proviso Township, on the Desplaines River. The 
banks here are from two to fifteen feet in height, and well 
wooded. The soil consists of a clayey loam, which is covered 
with dead leaves and sticks. The river is very turbid, the water 
being contaminated by the sewage which is discharged into 
the river at several points in the vicinity. West of Maywood 
*These distances are reckoned from the city hall, in the center of the business district of 
the city. = 
