- "238 - 
NORTH DAKOTA 
The collections mn.de in North Dakota were divided into those taken 
from the eastern half, or tall-grass prairie, or those from the western half, 
or short-grass region. The natural vegetation is as follows: 
1 • Tall-grass area (eastern ha lf) : 
(a) Blue stem sod association — extreme eastern portion or along the 
Red River Valley. 
(b) Needlegrass-slender wheatgrass — west of (a) to just "beyond 
Jamestown and swinging northwest to Canada. 
2 . Short-grass region (western half 
(a) Grama and western needlegrass — most of the western half. 
(b) Western wheatgrass and sagebrush — badlands of so uthwe stern 
quarter. 
(c) Grama grass — extreme west and southwest. 
This is mostly the hard- spring- wheat area, with intensive farming 
in the east and large-scale crop production in the west. The east is more 
mesophytic and west xerophytic. 
In the eastern half 673 specimens were collected, representing 22 
species. In the west 5,447 specimens were taken, representing 41 species. 
Melanoplus mexicanus was the dominant species in both portions. In 1934 
Cannula pellucida was right up to the top in abundance in the eastern part of 
the State, but in 1935 it fell to fourth place. It ran from 50 to 75 percent 
of the total grasshopper population in the eastern part in 1934, but in 1935 
it was under 10 percent anywhere. June rains reduced the numbers of the 
particular species considerably. 
The populations were low in the eastern quarter and in the southern 
tier of counties east of the Missouri River. In parts of the north-central, 
northwestern, and southwestern counties, severe infestations still occurred,' 
but the general population since 1934 has been reduced about 50 percent over 
most of the State. 
