THE FAUNA OF THE PRAIRIES. 7 
The reptiles afford mainly negative features. In consequence 
doubtless of the annual fires that have swept over the country for 
centuries, all the land species, including the turtles, the snakes 
and the lizards, are extremely scarce, and form but an insignifi- 
cant feature. 
the fishes, doubtless several species are more or less pecu- 
liar to the prairie streams and ponds, but I am unable to give at 
present any facts respecting them. ` 
The land Mollusca have suffered similarly with the reptiles from 
the fiery ordeal to which for long ages they have been subjected, 
and are equally scarce and confined chiefly to the timbered river 
banks and bottoms. The fluviatile species are numerous, but do 
not appear to, essentially differ specifically from those of the 
western waters generally. 
The Insect fauna* presents peculiarities similar to those of the 
flora, on which their existence is so intimately dependent. Cer- 
tain groups are represented in an unusual variety of species and 
abundance of individuals, but the most numerous forms are often 
exceedingly localized. Other groups are again but sparsely repre- 
sented. No country, however, it is to be hoped, is richer in 
Orthoptera (grasshoppers), either in species or individuals; and a 
few species of butterflies are also especially numerous, of which a 
small proportion seem to be strictly prairie forms. The Hemip- 
tera and the Neuroptera exist in great abundance, the dragon flies 
being richly represented, both as respects the number of the 
species and the gorgeousness of their colors, many of which are 
rarely or never seen in the Atlantic States. The Hymenoptera, 
on the other hand, are comparatively few, especially the bees 
and wasps, notwithstanding the abundance of the flowers. If 
the Diptera, however, do not make up the equilibrium, it is not 
because mosquitoes and blood-sucking flies (Tabanide) are de- 
ficient either in variety of species, in number of individuals, in 
size, or in voracity. 
As regards Crustacea, the single family by which this class is 
mainly represented, the craw-fishes, or Astacide, seems here to 
almost find its metropolis; and as for worms, the ponds and 
streams afford leeches of gigantic size. 
In the above sketch, reference is had exclusively to the wild or 
* For a partial list os the Butterflies see the Transactions of the Chicago Academy, 
Vol. 1, pp. 326-337, 1 
