International Excursion in America. 
333 
cultivation. In the daytime the journey across Iowa, at least by 
this route (the Burlington) is exceedingly monotonous. The gently 
rolling country is covered with a continuous succession of maize 
and wheatfields, with occasional pastured oak-wood on the higher 
ground, and no glimpse of untouched prairie can be seen. The 
oakwoods become rarer as the western boundary of the state, the 
Missouri river, is approached. The train crosses the river and 
runs northward along the west bank for some distance before 
Omaha, the largest city in Nebraska, is reached, and good stages of 
the development of flood plain-forest from sandbanks can be 
observed. The bluffs overlooking the Missouri, composed of loess, 
bear oak-wood. 
On leaving Omaha, the plain, originally prairie, is now closely 
cultivated. The Platte river, one of the streams that come right 
through to the Missouri from the Rocky Mountains, is crossed and 
shows a narrow belt of fringing “ river bottom ” woodland. 
At Lincoln the party was met by the veteran Professor 
Bessey, who had charge of the arrangements during the 
comparatively few hours we spent in that city. Thanks to the care 
with which Professor Bessey had planned the trip and to the 
generosity of the Commercial Club, which not only provided the 
whole party with automobiles, but also with an excellent luncheon 
at the clubhouse, we were able to use our limited time to the best 
advantage. We were also honoured by the presence of the 
Governor of the State and the Chancellor of the University of 
Nebraska, who were not only present at the luncheon but also 
accompanied the party on the automobile trip. The day was one 
of the hottest in the year, a shade temperature of 108° F. being 
recorded by the meteorological station in the afternoon. Thanks, 
however, to the automobiles and to provision of a shaded room at 
the club for resting during part of the afternoon, but little 
discomfort—except indeed from dust—was experienced. 
Lincoln Prairie and Plantations. 
During the afternoon, several areas of rolling high prairie 
were visited, and these presented a striking contrast with the “ low 
prairie” seen at Chicago. The high prairie grassland was 
dominated mainly by Stipa spartea ; Panicum scoparium was locally 
dominant, and Spnrtina michauxiana on the lower-lying prairies. 
Kcelerici cristata (agg.)—an extremely abundant grass throughout 
temperate North America—was also in evidence. Of conspicuous 
