St. Joseph County, Indiana - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 3 of those read), 1880

Of the species of native quadrupeds that once roamed the flowery prairies and wild lorests of this county, but few of the smaller remain, and none of the larger. Of the latter we cannot even find a specimen preserved in taxidermy. The buffalo which grazed npon the verdant prairies has been driven westward. Wither before it went the beaver, elk, badger, panther, black wolf and black bear. Some animals that were quite numerous have become very rare, such as the gray fox, the catamount, otter, lynx, the beautiful Virginia deer, the opossum, raccoon, mink, muskrat, the common weasel, the small brown weasel, skunk, woodchuck, or Maryland marmot, prairie mole, common shrew mole, meadow and deer mouse, and the gray rabbit. Of squirrels there are the gray timber squirrel, the fox, chipmunk, the large gray prairie squirrel, the striped and the spotted prairie squirrel, and the beautiful flyingsquirrel. The dark-brown and the reddish bat are common. Other small animals have been found here which have strayed from other localities.

Of the 6,000 existing species of birds many have sojourned in this county, some temporarily and others for a considerable time. Many migratory species come only at long intervals, and therefore but little is known of them. Most species seen here are migratory between the North and the South.

There is not a more fascinating study than that afforded by our feathered friends. Their free movements through seemingly boundless space, the joyous songs of many, and the characteristic tones of all, their brilliant colors, their lively manners, and their wonderful instincts, have from earliest ages made a strong imj^ression on the minds of men, and in the infancy of intellect gave rise to many peculiar and mysterious associations. Hence the flight of birds was made the foundation of a peculiar art of divination. Religion borrowed many symbols from them, and poetry many of its ornaments. Birds avail themselves of their powers of wing to seek situations adapted for them in respect to temperature and supply of food. The arrival of summer birds is always a welcome sign of advancing spring, and is associated with all that is cheerful and delightful, 'Some birds come almost at the same date annually; others are more influenced by the character of the season, as mild or severe.

Perchers. - This order of birds is by far the most numerous, and includes nearly all those which are attractive either in plumage or in song. Tiic ruby-throated humming-bird, with its exquisite plumage and almost ethereal existence, is at the head of the list. This is the humming-bird which is always the delight of the children, and the only one found in this IState. The chimney swallow, easily, known from other swallows by its very long wings and forked tail, and which is a true swift, is quite numerous. Of the Whippoorwill family there are two representatives, - the whippoorwill proper, whose note enlivens the forest at night, and the night-hawk. The belted king-fisher, so well known to the school boy, is the only member of its family in this region. At the head of the fly-catchers is the king-bird, the crested fly-catcher and the wood pewee.

Of the Thrush family are the robin, the wood thrush, Wilson's thrush, the blue-bird, the rubA'-crowned and the golden-crested wren, tit-lark, the black and the white creeper, blue yellow-backed warbler, yellow-breasted chat, worm-eating warbler, blue-winged yellow warbler, Tennessee warbler, and golden-crowned thrush. The Shrike family is represented by the great northern shrike, red- eyed fly-catcher, white-eyed fly-catcher, the blue-headed and the yellow-tliroated fly-catcher. The Swallow family of birds are very numerous in this country. Among them are the barn swallow, white-bellied swallow, bank swallow, cliff swallow and purple martin. The cedar-bird is the representative of the wax-wing family in America. The genera of the Mocking-bird family are the cat-bird, brown thrush, the house and winter wren. Of the Finch and Sparrow family, the snow bunting and Smith's bunting appear only in winter. The purple finch, the yellow-bird and the lark finch inhabit this county. Of the Passerine genus of this family are the savannah sparrow, the field and the cliipping sparrow, the black snow-bird, the tree sparrow, the song sparrow, the swamp and the fox-colored sparrow, the black-throated bunting, the rose-lireasted gros-beak and the ground robin. Tiie Titmouse family is represented by the chickadee and the tufted titmouse. There are two species of the Creeper family - the white bellied nut-hatch and the American creeper. The melodious family of Skylarks is represented here by only the common skylark of the prairie. Of the Black-bird iamily, the rusty black-bird, the crow black-bird, the cow-bird, the red-winged black-bird, the meadow lark, the orchard and the Baltimore oriole, are the most beautiful and brilliant that inhabit this region. The blue-jay and the common crow comprise the species of the Crow family.

Birds of Prey. - This order of birds comprises all those, with few exceptions, which pursue and capture birds and other animals for food. They are mostly of large size, tlie females are larger than the males, they live in pairs, and choose their mates for life. ]\[ost raptoiial birds have disappenred. Among them are the golden eagle, which was always rare but now no longer seen here; the bald eagle, or properly the white-headed eagle, once quite common, now scarce. Some well-preserved specimens of this genus are in the county. This eagle enjoys the honor of standing as our national emblem. Benjamin Franklin lamented the selection of this bird as emblematical of the Union, for its great cowardice. It has the ability of ascending in circular sweeps without any apparent motion of the wings or the tail, and it often rises in this manner until it disappears from view, when at an immense height, and as if observing an object on the ground, it sometimes closes its wings and glides toward the earth with such velocity that the eye can scarcely follow it, causing a loud rustling sound like a violent gust of wind among the branches of the forest. The Hawk family has eight or nine species, some but seldom seen, others common. The turkeybuzzard has almost, if not quite, disappeared. It is still abundant further south. Of the Owl genera are several species, though all are but seldom seen because of their nocturnal habits. Among them are the barn owl, the screech owl, the long and the short eared owl, the barred owl, and the snowy owl, the latter being the rarest.

CUmhers. - But few of this order remain in the county, the most common of which are the woodpeckers. Of the various kinds of these are the golden- winged, the pileated, the hairy, the downy, the yellow-bellied, red-bellied and the red-headed. The yellow billed cuckoo is occasionally seen; the black- billed cuckoo is rare.

Scratcheri<. - This order contains but few genera in this county. The wild turkey, the choicest of game, has almost entirely disappeared, and was the only one of its family that ever sojourned here. In an early day they were in abundance. The chiefest among the Grouse family is the prairie chicken, which, if not carefully protected, must ere long follow the wild turkey, never to return. The ruffled grouse, wrongfully called " pheasant." has of late made its appearance. "When frightened it takes to flight with a smothered, drum-like noise. It is quite fond of cultivated fields, and, if properly protected and encouraged until it becomes fairly settled, will make a fine addition to the game, and lill the place of the prairie chicken. Partridge family. - The fate of that excellent bird, the quail, is only a question of a short time. The Dove family.- - The wild pigeons continue to make their semi-annual visits, but not in such vast numbers as years ago. Acres of forest were so often filled at night with these birds that the l>reaking of boughs and the flying of pigeons made a noise that could be heard for miles, and the shot of a sportsman's gun could not be heard at a distance often feet. Highly interesting is the description by Audubon of the enormous flights which he observed on the Ohio in the fall of 1813; they obscured the daylight and lasted three days without interruption. According to a very moderate estimate of his, each flight contained the stupendous number of one billion, one hundred and flfteen thousand million, one hundred and thirty-six thousand pigeons. These flights caused a general commotion among the entire rural population. Desirous ofbooty, and anxious lest their crops sliould be spoiled, the fanners, arming themselves with ritles, clubs, poles, torches and iron pots filled with sulphur, proceed to the resting places of tiie birds. Tiie work of slaughter oeing accomplished, everybody sat down among mountains of dead pigeons, plucking and salting the birds which they selected, abandoning the rest to the foxes, wolves, raccoons, opossums and hogs, whole herds of which were driven to the battle-field. The plaintive notes of the Carolina dove, commonly known as the turtle-dove, are still heard.

Swijnmers. - This order of birds, which formerly fre(^uented this county in large numbers, have almost disappeared. They are migratory, and in their usual season would appear coming from the north or south, as winter passes into summer or summer into winter. Of the Diver family, the great northern diver, or loon, sometimes visits this section, but inhabits the frigid zone. Of the Gull family are Wilson's tern and silvery gull. - The roughed-billed pelican was the only genus of the Pelican family that ever stopped in this county, ^ and it has now altogether ceased to make its visits here. Of the Cormorant family, the double-crested cormorant, or searaven, has been seen here. Duck family. - This family of migratory birds visited the ponds and streams of this county in large numbers before it became so thickly settled, both on their northern and southern passage, but now mostly confine themselves to the wilder places, where large numbers are found. This family furnishes most game for sportsmen and for the table. There are the wood-duck, the big black-headed duck, the ring-necked duck, the red-head, the canvas-back, the dipper, the shell-drake or goosander, the fish-duck, the red-breasted, and the hooded merganser, the mallard and the pintail, the green-winged and the blue-winged teal, the spoonbill and the gadwall, the baldpate, the American swan, the trumpeter swan and the white-fronted goose.

Waders. - Probably less is known of this order of birds than of any other, because of their shyness and solitary habits. They frequented the marshes, but cultivation has drained their favorite haunts. Of the Crane family, the whooping crane, always rare, is now never seen. The sand-hill cranes stop on their journeys north and south. Of the Heron family, the great blue heron or crane, least bittern, the green heron, night heron and the American bittern visit this region. Of the Ibis family, the glossy ibis has been seen here. Of the Plover family, the golden plover, the kildeer and the king plover comprise this family known here. Of the Phalarope family, the Wilson's and the red phalarope have frequented the swamps of this county. Various birds of the Snipe family have been common in and around the swamps of this county. Among them were Wilson's snipe, grey or red-breasted snipe, the least and the semi-palmated sandpiper, the willet, the tell-tale, the yellow-leg, the solitary sandpiper, the spotted sandpiper, tlie field plover, long-billed curlew, the common rail, the clapper rail or mud hen, and the coot.

Reptile-'i. - A.11 of the species of this class that ever inhabited this region are still to be found here except most of the poisonous snakes. The rattlesnake is of a 3'ellowish-brown color, and has a series of horn}- joints at the end of the tail, which make a rattling sound. These were the mostvenomous of all snakes found here, and were numerous in the early settlement. There are two kinds, the bandy, or striped, and the prairie rattlesnake, the latter being still occasionally found. The copperhead was alwaj's rare. Among the harmless siu\kes are the water-snake, tlie garter-snake, the bull-snake, the milk-snake, the black-snake, and the blue racer.

Many reptiles found here are eri'oneously called lizards, but are salamanders and other like innocent creatures. Lizards are never found in this county. The so-called " water lizards " are newts, or Tritons. Among the tortoises or turtles are found the map turtle, the snapping and the soft-shelled turtle. Of the Ijatrachian, or naked reptiles, there are a few, and, though loathsome to sight and touch, are harmless. The toad, the bull-frog, the leopard-frog, the tree-toad, with some tailed batrachia, comprise the most of this order. The bull-frog is often as large as a man's head, or larger, and his deep bellowing can be heard for a mile or more.

Fimes. - Although fishes are the lowest class of vertebrates, their varied forms and colors, which often rival those of precious stones and burnished gold, the wonderful power and velocity of some, the wholesome food furnished by many, and the exciting sport of their capture, combine to render fishes subjects of great interest to the casual observer, as well as to the amateur and professional naturalist. The number of known species of fishes is about ten thousand. The waters of this country are quite prolific of the tinny tribe. The commerce in fish has become quite extensive along some of the and lakes. The Sickle-backed family furnishes the game fish, and are never caught larger than four pounds in weight. The various genera found here are the black bass, goggle-eye, the croppy, or big black sun- fish, and the two common sun-fish. There are but two species of the Pike family, - the pickerel, weighing from five to twenty-five pounds, and the gar pike. Of the Sucker family are the bufialo. red-horse, white- sucker, two species of blacksuckers and mullet ranick. Fish of this family are found in all the streams of the count}'. They abound wherever there is water. Of the Cat-fish family the channel cat-fish, the mud cat-fish and two species of the small cat-fish inhabit the waters of this county, and are caught ranging in weight from one to thirty pounds. The bullhead is yet abundant, ai\d its flesh, as well as its general appearance, resembles that of the cat-fish.

Besides these varieties there are the chub, silver-sides and freshwater herring, and large numbers of other species denominated minnows, which are found in the smallest spring branches, as well as the larger streams.

This county is favorably situated for the production of a great variety of interesting plants. Out of about 2,400 species of flowering plants in the Ignited States, about 1,600 can be found within the limits of this State, and about 1,000 within this county. In the following list we will enumerate only the most common and remarkable, growing spontaneously in this county, and we give the English names from Gray's Manual, tifth edition, being well aware that most localities have different names for many plants, and that even in the books some English names are given to two or more plants, as sycamore, button snakeroot, black snakeroot, goose-grass, hair-grass, loosestrife, etc.

Crovifoots. -Common virgin's bower, a vine, is occasionally found: the leather-flower, a cultivated vine bearing large, blue flowers, is of the same genus. The Pennsylvanian, Virginian and wood anemones occur heie and there. Liver-leaf (" liver- wort") is common on forest hillsides. Rue anemone, and the early, the purplish and the tall meadow-rues are common in the woods. The true buttercups of the East are not found here, but the most common flower corresponding to them is the creeping crowfoot. The smallflowered, the hooked, the bristly and the early crowfoots also occur. Isopyrum grows in moist, shady places. Marsh marigold is common in early spring, growing in mud supplied with fresh water: in the East they are called "cowslips" and sometimes used for greens. Water plantain spearwort, growing in mud, and yellow water crowfoot, growing in water and with the submersed leaves fluel}' divided, are seen occasionally. Wild columbine, so easily recognized by its resemblance to the cultivated species, abounds in the margins of the woods ; so also two species of wild larkspur. Yellow puccoon is very scarce. White baneberry is occasionally seen in the deep woods.

Cvstard-Apple Family. - The papaw is common. This is a fragile bush, with large leaves, bearing fruit about the size and appearance of short, thick, green cucumbers, which have a pulp like the banana. To "learn" to like them one must merely taste of them at times far apart.

Moonseed. - Canadian moonseed is abundant in the woods. It is a smooth, twining vine like the morning-glory, with a beautiful, round, yellow root, which has a tonic-bitter taste, and is sometimes called sarsaparilla. The tfue wild sarsaparilla belongs to the Ginseng family.

Water Lilies. - The pond, or white water lily, is abundant in large, open ponds in the river bottoms, and the yellow water, or frog lily, growing in shallow, stagnant water, is common. The vellow nelumbo, a similar plant, is sometimes found.

Mustards. - ^ISIarsh cress is common ; lake cress, growing in water, is sometimes seen; and horse-radish flourishes beyond the bounds of cultivation. Pepper-root, an early-flowering plant, is common in the dense forest. Two varieties of spring cress are frequent. Two species of the delicate little rock cress and Arabis dentata are also frequent. Hedge mustard is the most common mustard-like weed that grows on cultivated and waste grounds. Tansy mustaini is rare. Black mustard, the type of this family, flourishes on cultivated and waste grounds. White mustard is very rare at the present day. Shepherd's purse is abundant early in the season, - a weed everywhere: its seed-pod is triangular, somewhat inflated, and in shape resembles a shepherd's purse of the olden time. Wild peppergrass is common in late summer: seed-pods, wafer-form. Whitlow grass grows in sandy ground. To the Mustard family belong the radish, turnip and cabbage of our gardens.

Caper Family. - Polanisia, a fetid pod-bearing plant, is common on sandy ground, and is extending along the railroads where sand and gravel are deposited. Cleome pungens, or spider-flower, is escaping from cultivation.

Violets. - Common blue violet is abundant, the other kinds more rare, namely, hand-leaf, arrow-leaved, larkspur, bird-foot, downy yellow, etc. " Heart's-ease belongs to this order.

Hock- Bases. - Frost-weed grows in sandy soil, and pin-weed on dry ground. Hudsonia, the smallest shrub in the country, grows on some of the sandy hills.

Pinks. - Starry campion, sleepy catchfly, corn cockle, sandwort, long-leaved stitchwort and forked chickweed are found here and there. Common chickweed and three species of mouse-ear chickweed and bouncing bet are more common. Carpet weed is common on the sand; it grows in the form of a bunchy lamp-mat.

Purslanes. - Akin to the beautiful portulaca is our universal purslane, often called "pursley." Spring beauty belongs to this family. It is one of the earliest spring flowers, and may be distinguished by the plant's having but two leaves, long and narrow and somewhat fleshy. The flower is a light rose color, with deeper veins.

Malloivs Family. - Common, or low mallows and velvet-leaf, or Indian mallows are very abundant. The latter is a tall, pestiferous weed about our fields, with seed-vessels resembling poppy-bolls. Sida and bladder ketmia, or flower of an hour, are common. To this order belong the hollyhock and okra, in cultivation.

Geranium Family. - Wild crane's-bill is common in early spring, having a solitary, rose-colored flower on the summit. Carolina crane's-bill is rather rare. Spotted and pale touch-me-nots are common in moist, shaded places, growing in dense patches. The balsamine of cultivation is of the same genus. Yellow wood-sorrel is everj-where, and here and there the violet wood-sorrel prevails to some extent. This is erroneously called sheep-sorrel." Sheep, or field-sorrel, grows on sandy or gravely ground, has lance-shaped and pointed leaves, obscure flowers, and seeds like pie-plant or yellowdock, while wood-sorrel grows mostly in clay soil, has three leaflets like clover, showy flowers, and seeds in a pod. The two sorrels belong to difi'erent orders, but have a similar taste.

Eueworts. - The northern prickly ash, a common shrub in our woods, but growing scarcer, and the still rarer hop- tree, are the only members of this family in this coirnty. Garden rue is of the same order, or family.

Caftheto Fcnnily. - In America this would seem to be rather the sumac family. The smooth sumac is common everywhere, fragrant sumac abundant in sandy ground, and poison ivy is common along fences - some places abundant. The latter is a coarse, woody vine with innumerable rootlets, and lias three leaflets to each leaf, with these leaflets sometimes partly divided. When the plant is young it can be distinguished from box-elder by the latter having a white " bloom " on the stem, and at all times it can be distingnished from Virginia creeper (American ivy, an innocent plant) by the latter having five leaflets to each leaf, and the whole leaf in shape like that of buckeye. Poison, dwarf and stag-horn sumacs are common in some places.

Vine Family, that is, the Grape-vine family. - Virginia creeper, just described, is as abundant as any weed. The winter, or frostgrape and the northern fox-grape are common, but the summer grape, a delicious fruit, is very scarce, if indeed it can be found at all in this county. It nsed to be abundant, but the vines have been destroyed by reckless grape gatherers.

Buckthorn Family. - The noted red-root, or New Jersey tea, a shrub in the margin of prairies, and to some extent in all other situations, is the only representative of this family here, and it is becoming rarer by the encroachments of cultivation and pasturage. The leaves make very good tea.

Staff-tree Family. - The climbing bittersweetand waahooare all there are of this family in our limits. The former is a smooth, woody vine, common in the woods, climbing by simply twining, and bearing orange-colored berries in clusters, often called waxwork, and used in ornamentation. This vine is often called simply bittersweet, but the true medical bittersweet is a very different plant, scarcely a vine at all, and not growing wild in this county. The waahoo, or burnins-bush, is a real bush of about the size and proportions of a plum-tree; its twigs have four white lines, and its crimson fruit in autumn after the leaves have fallen is very showy. The flowers are dark purple. Stravvberry-busli is rare.

Soapberry Order includes the Maple, Bladdernut and Soapberry (proper) families. Of the maples the most common are the sugar, the red and the white. The latter are the soft maples. Box-elder is sometimes called ash-leaved maple, and belongs to this family. The American bladdernut is a tree-like shrub about 10 feet high, producing large three-lobed, inflated seed pods. Two species of buck-eye are common in the river bottoms.

Pulse Family. - This large family is characterized by having seeds in pods like beans and peas, which are members of the family. The first in the list, according to the books, are the clovers - rod and white. Two other species of this genus occur, indeed, but are too rare to enumerate here. Then the white sweet clover, more recently escaped from cultivation; then two species of prairie clover, almost extinct. Goat's rue, false indigo (Amorpha) and lead plant abound on dry, sandy loam in river bottoms. The common locust was introduced here, but this is too far north for it to be hardy enough to withstand our winds and the borer. A honey-locust occurs here and there. One milk vetch is frequent. Six species oi tick trefoil abound and nine otiiers occur. These are those plants in the woods bearing "pods" of triangular, flat burs. Five species of bush clover are found liere. Three vetches (tares) and four marsh vetchlings, ground nut, kidney bean, false indigo (Baptisia) and wild senna are found here and there. Hog peanut, called wild pea or bean by some, abounds everywhere in the woods. Red-bud is an ngly little tree except in the spring before the leaves appear, when the whole top is of a beautiful purplish-red from the blossoms. Partridge pea is abundant "in spots," grows like a weed in low places, 20 inches to two feet high, has leaves like a locust, and bears a very large, yellow flower. The sensitive plant may be found within the bounds of this county, but if so, it is very scarce. The Kentucky coflee-tree is rare. It is famous for its beautiful compound leaves and glossy beans.

Rose Family. - Most of our edible fruits come from this family of trees and herbs, as the apple, peach, plum, cherry, strawberry, etc. The wild plum (yellow or red) is becoming very scarce; the wild red cherry is always rare; the wild black cherry is abundant; choke-cherry is a shrub occasionally found; dwarf cherry is common on sandy ridges; nine-bark and goat's-beard are species of spirsea frequently found ; common meadow sweet nnd Canadian burnet, rare; agrimony is a coarse herb occasionally seen, having leaves resembling those of the strawberry, and bearing a kind of drooping bur, - a plant about two feet high. One species of avens is very common, and four other species are found. Common cinquefoil, or five-finger, resembles the strawberry very closely, and aboiiDds in dry soil; JSTorwegian cinquefuil has similar leaves, but the plant is coarse and grows three feet high, - not common; silvery and several other species of cinqnefoil are also found. One species of wild strawberry abounds in retired situations; it was common over the original prairie. The high blackberry and the raspberry prevail here as elsewhere, but their sylvan territory is narrowed to close limits by the encroachments of man ; the low blackberry, or dewberry, and the running swamp blackberry also occur; the dwarf raspberry grows only a foot or two high. Of the roses proper, the dwarf wild rose is the most common, but its territory has also become very limited; the "'early wild" rose maybe found. Three species of red haw (hawthorn) occur; the black, or pear, thorn is the most common, then tlie scarlet-fruited thorn, and lastly the cockspur thorn. The crab apple and choke berry are well known. Several varieties of June berry are common.

Saxifrages. - Two or three species of gooseberry are common; three species of currant grow here; and swamp saxifrage and two species of alum-root are sometimes met with. Mitre-wort, or bishop's cap, is common, flowering in early spring; this is an interesting little plant.

Orpine Family. - Ditch stone-crop is common during wet seasons; can occasionally be found in the ditches during dry seasons; mossy stone-crop has escaped from cultivation to gravelly roadsides, etc.; one other species of stone-crop occurs.

Evening Primroses. - Common evening primrose, enchanter's nightshade and two species of willow-herb are common. Seedbox, water-purslean and sun-drops are found here and there.

Parsley Family. - This family is characterized by having their seed-bearing tops like those of parsnips. Most of the poisonous plants- growing in this country belong to this family. Two species of black snakeroot prevail in this county; water pennywort, polytfenia, cowbane, meadow parsnip, spotted cowbane (two species), rattlesnake master, water parsnip (two species), chervil and poison hemlock occur here and there, while smoother and haiiy sweet cicely are abundant; even garden parsnip is becoming a common weed in open, protected places. Of the whole fauiily the most poisonous are the spotted cowbane and poison hemlock. Cow parsnip is the largest plaiit of this order, and grows in shaded bottom lands.

Oinseng Family. - Ginseng, on account of its popular medical qualities, has been pretty well thinned out; dwarf ginseng, or ground-nut, is a modest little plant flowering in April. The true sarsaparilla (a plant of the appearance of a large ginseng) is sometimes found, and spikenard is common in the forest ravines.

Dogwoods. - The most common dogwood is the white-berried, or panicled cornel, next the rough-leaved, the alternate-leaved, the flowering, the silky, red-osier, dwarf and round-leaved. Fepperidge, a middle-sized tree, occurs here and there.

Honeysuckles. - Common elder and yellow honeysuckle are common. Horse gentian, or fever-wort, is a forest weed bearing five to ten yellow berries in a circle around the stem at every place where the two opposite leaves are attached. The true black haw is scarce, but sheep-berry, which is generally called black haw, is common. Two species of arrow- wood and the cranberry tree occur here and there.

Madder Family. - The small bedstraw, two species of the rough and tlie northern bed-straw are abundant, and the sweet-scented is common, while occasionally may be found cleavers, or goose-grass. Wild liquorice occurs rarely. These herbs are all of a flax-like appearance, iiaving several beautiful little leaves in a whorl at each joint. Button bush is common in wet ground. Partridge-berry is common further north.

Composites. - This order is by far the largest of all. Its flowers are compound, that is, there are several, sometimes many, small flowers crowded close together in a head, as sunflower, lettuce, dandelion, aster, chrysanthemum, May-weed, etc. Their time of flowering is generally late in the season.

Iron-weed is common on flat ground; its summit in August is a beautiful royal purple. Four species of button snakeroot (one called also blazing star) are abundant on protected original prairie, and occur nowhere else. Five species of thoroughwort grow here, tliat called boneset being abundant. The species called trumpet, or Joe-Pye weed, is a tall, interesting weed, with 3 to 6 leaves in each whorl, that is, at each joint. Kuhnia is not rare; it resembles boneset. Mist-flower grows in our limits. Of the asters there are about 30 species growing within this county; about half of them are very common. The flowers have a starry appearance; hence the name. The most remarkable of them is the New England aster, a large purple flower along the roadsides in September. Five species of fleabane, similar to the asters in appearance, are common, namely: horseweed, which is abundant on waste and cultivated grounds, Kobin's plantain, common fleabane, and two daisy fleabanes, one of them called also sweet scabious. About 20 species of golden-rod can be found in this county, only half of them common, however. The most abundant is the Solidago Canadensis. From these much honey is made by bees in Sepl;ember. Four species of rosin-weed used to prevail on the original prairie, but their territory is very limited at the present day. The most noted of them has dvided leaves, and is also called compass plant, or polar plant, theleaves having once been thought to point nortli and south. They do indeed stand with their faces somewhat parallel, but they are just as apt to have their edges toward otlier points of the compass. One species of rosiii-weed has undivided leaves, large and rough, and is called prairie dock. Tliis and the compass plant flourish on flat prairie soil which is not pastured. The species called cnp-plant gi'ows along the banks of channeled sloughs. The leaves join together at the base so as to form a cup. It is a very large weed. Parthenium, a similar plant, is not rare. Kagweed is the most common weed we have along the roadsides; called also hogweed, Koman wormwood, etc. Great ragweed is the largest v."eed that grows in this country : common along fences. Cocklebur is on the increase. Ox-eye, Lepachys and six species of coneflower are almost common. Six species of wild sunflower flourish along fences in unfrequented situations. They are tall weeds, but not troublesome. One kind has tuberous roots, and is really an artichoke. Three species of tickseed occur in this county. The true Spanish needle does not grow here, hut three species of its genus abound here, especially during wet seasons, namely, common and swamp beggar ticks and the larger bur-marigold. The smaller bur-marigold is found in shallow running water. Fetid marigold is abundant in dry situations along the wagon roads. When struck, even lightly, it yields a rank, aromatic odor; called also false dogfennel. Sneeze-weed, which looks somewhat like a Spanisii needle, is abundant during wet seasons and exceedingly scarce at other times. May-weed, or dog fennel, every one is familiar with. So with yarrow. The ox-eye daisy or white- weed, a vexatious weed in the East, is just beginning to creep in along the railroads. Eiennial wormwood is a common but harmless weed in waste places. Common and plantain-leaved everlasting are common. Fire-weed, abundant. Golden rag- wort, several species of hawkweed and Cynthia here and there. The famous Canada thistle is seldom seen; the common thistle aboutids more and more. Two other species are common, growing very tall. Burdock and dandelion are abundant. Wild lettuce and false or blue lettuce are common milky weeds, growing very tall. Two species of sow thistle, comparatively harmless, are modestly on the increase.

Lobelias. - The celebrated medical lobelia, or Indian tobacco, flourishes along our garden fences. The great lobelia, or blue cardinal flower, is abundant in moist ground. The cardinal flower is the most showy, dazzling-red flower we have growing wild: found in wet ground and on the banks of sloughs. A small and slender species of lobelia is common in protected situations.

Campanula or Bellfloicer Family. - The tall bellflower is common. Venus's looking-glass is found here and there. " Blue-bells " do not belong here; they are tlie smooth lungwort, belonging to the Borage family.

Heaths. - Large and small cranberry, black huckleberry, and dwarf, low and swamp blueberries are found here, the first three in swamps. Creeping snowberry (in peat bogs), bearberry in sandy ground, creeping wintergreen, shin leaf, sheep laurel, Labrador tea, Indian pipe and pipsissewa are occasionall}' found.

Plantiun Familij. - The common plantain of our door-yards. Two other species of this family may occur in this county, but they are exceedingly rare.

Primrose. - Several species of loosestrife (Lysimachia), chickweed, wintergreen and one or two pimpernels occur. Monej'wort is common about some door-yards.

Fii>uiorts. - Mullein, toad-flax (" butter-and-eggs "), fig-wort, beard-tongue, two species ot Gerardia, two species of louse-wort and cow- wheat are common, while monkey-flower, hedge hyssop, false pimpernel, purslane. Culver's root, water, marsh, purslane, common and corn speedwell and blue-hearts are sometimes seen. Toad-flax has persistent roots like witch-grass and threatens to become a pest. The snap-dragon of our gardens is a fig-wort.

Vervain.^. - Verbenas belong to this order. The most abundant plant belonging to this famil}* and growing wild is the hoary vervain; next are the bracted (prostrate), the white or nettleleaved, and the blue. They all prefer dry, waste grounds, and are much inclined to hybridize. Fog-fruit is abundant in sandy ground along the rivers. Lopseed is common in woods.

Mints. - Common are wood sage, or American germander, wild mint, bugle-weed, American pennyroyal, and hedge nettle (two species). Motherwort, catnip, heal-all, and wild mint are abundant. Here and there are water horehound, mountain mint, horse-mint, calaminth,Blephilia, (two species), giant hyssop (two species), false dragon head, or lion's heart, mad-dog skullcap and one other species of skullcap. Ground ivy, or gill-over-the-ground, is abundant about dwellings. "What is generally called "horse-mint" in the West is '' wild bergamot" according to the books. Wild mint is often taken for peppermint. True peppermint, spearmint, and horehound are scarce within our limits. Salvia, sage and Mexican sage are cultivated plants belonging to this order.

"Borageworts. - Hairy and hoary puccoon, smooth lungwort, stick-seed, beggar's lice and common hound's-tongue are common; all other species rare. Comfrey belongs to this family. Smooth lungwort is often called "blue-bells." It is common in early spring about door-yards and along fences near dwellings. Common hound's-tongue flourishes along the roads; flowers a dull purple, appearing in early summer. Beggar's lice is a species ot hound's-tongue.

Water -leaf Family. - Two or three species of water-leaf and Ellisia appear in cool, shady places. The latter resembles small tomatoes in leaf and fruit.

Polemoniums or Phloxes. - Greek valerian, paniculate, hairy and divaricate phlox are frequent. The true wild sweet- William is very rare. Moss pink is more common in cultivation.

Convoh'uhis or Morning-glory Family. - The most common plant of this order orrowing spontaneously beyond the bounds of cultivation is hedge bindweed or Rutland beauty. Eight species of dodder (" love-vine ") may be found, all rare but one which appears like orange- colored thread growing on the tops of weeds. Wild potato-vine is occasionally found on woody hillsides.

Nightshade Family. - To this family belong Irish potatoes, tomatoes, egg-plant, bitter-sweet, matrimony vine, tobacco and Jerusalem cherry. The most common weeds of this family are jimson-weed, horse-nettle ("bull nettles "), common or black nightshade and two species of ground-cherry. The white-flowered jimson-weed (Datura Stramonium) is called common Stramonium or thornapple by Dr. Gray, while the purple-flowered he calls purple thornapple.

Gentians. - One beautiful species of American centaury, American Columbo and five-flowered, fringed, smaller fringed, whitish, yellowish white, and closed gentian are found within our limits. -'Horse gentian " belongs to the Honeysuckle family. Buck-bean is common in bogs.

Milkuieeds. - Common milkweed, or siikweed, is common; has large, boat-shaped pods of glistening cotton. Swamp milkweed, butterfly weed," or pleurisy-root, whorled milkweed and two species of green milkweed are common in places.

Olive Family.^lt would seem more natural to us Westerners to call this the Ash family, as we have no members of this order about us except the five species of ash, - white, black, blue, red and green, the white being the most common. Some of these kinds are difticult for the beginner in botany to distinguish.

Birthworts. - Wild ginger is common in deep, wooded ravines. The leaf is kidney-shaped, plant but few inches high, and the root tastes like ginger.

Qoosefoots. - Lamb's-quarters, or pigweed, a common weed in our gardens, is the type of this order. Beet and spinach are cultivated plants of this order. Next in abundance to lamb's-quarters are maple-leaved goosefoot, Jerusalem oak and Mexican tea. Wormseed is a fetid plant, belonging to the genus goosefoot. Orache is becoming abundant in the towns and cities. Bug-seed grows on the borders of the lakes.

Amaranths. - The cultivated coxcomb, globe amaranth and prince's featlier (red, chaify spikes) illustrate the characters of this family. Pigweed is one of the most common weeds in cultivated ground. The pigweed of the last paragraph should be called goosefoot onlv, or lainb's-quarters. White pigweed, generally known in the West as " tumble-weed," is abundant in some fields. Amarantus blitoides has recently become very abundant in our towns. At a little distance it resembles common purslane. Acnida taniariscina is common in sandy soil near the rivers and lakes.

Buckwheat Family or Knotweeds. - Goose-grass is the most ubiquitous member of this order, forming a carpet in every dooryard. A taller variety with wider leaves also abounds under the shade trees about the premises. Two species of smart-w-eed, mild water- pepper, water Persicaria and two other species of knotweed are all common. Out of 14 species of what appears tij be smartweed, only two are biting to the taste. Arrow-leaved tear-thumb, black bindweed and climbing false buckwheat are common vines. Pie-plant, "yellow dock " and sheep-sorrel represent another division of the knotweed family. The most common member of this division in this county is curled, or " yellow " dock; then follow sheep-sorrel (abounding in sandy soil), pale, water, swamp and bitter docks.

Sjmrges. - Spotted spurge, an herb growing more prostrate than all others, on cultivated ground; milky; no visible flowers. Three other species of spurge are almost common. Three-seeded mercury, known \\\ former years to inhabit only the dark forest, has followed to our city residences where it can find a similar situation.

Nettle Order. - Of the Elm family are the white and the slippery elm and the haekberry, - the first mentioned abundant, tiie other two scarce. Of the Bread-fruit and Fig familj- is the red mulberry, which is scarce. Of the JMettle family proper are the true nettle (rare), wood nettle (common), richweed, pellitory, hemp and hop. Rich weed, or clearweed, like the mercury of the last paragraph, has followed man to his artificial groves and is very abundant on flat ground under heavy shade-trees, in some places. It is remarkable that botanists have placed in this order the osage orange tree of our hedges, the bread-fruit tree of the Pacific isles, the fig and the banyan, and the poison upas of the East Indies.

Walnut Family. - Black and white walnut (butternut) are well known. Three species of shell-bark and two of smooth-bark, are common in tiiis country. The list comprises the siiag-bark, the Western shell-bark, themockernut or white-heart, the pig-nut or broom, and the bitter-nut or swamp hickories.

Oak Family. - Tliis family comprises not only the oaks but also the chestnut, beech, hazel-nut and iron-wood. Some of the oaks hybridize so much that it is ditBcult to keep track of the sjiecies and varieties. White oak, of course, takes the lead here as elsewhere, but the black jack is about as abundant. The latter is usually the "second growth," and is as good as hickory for firewood. Bnr-oak, scarlet oak and black oak (yellow-barked, or quercitron) are common. Laurel or shingle oak, yellow chestnut oak and red oak are occasionally met with. Laurel oak is so called on account of the shape of its leaves, and is also called shingle oak, on account of its being so good in pioneer times for cla})board8. Two species of iron-wood flourish here. They belong to difl'erent genera, one having seeds in clusters of involucres resembling hops; hence it is called hop hornbeam. The other iron-wood or hornbeam is also called blue or water beech.

Birch Fiimily. - The red, or river birch is sometimes found along the rivers and creeks, the dwarf birch in swamps. Paper birch is rather common.

^Y(llolvs: - The most common willow, as well as the largest, is the black; then theprarie, glaucous, heart-leaved, shining and longleaved. The black and the shining willows have tough twigs which are very brittle at the base. Several other species of willow occur, but are rare. The quaking asp, or American aspen, the cottonwood, balm-of-Gilead, Lombardy poplar and silver-leaf, or white poplar, are well known. Glandular-leaved willow is common about the head of Lake Michigan.

Arum Family. - Indian turnip (Jack-in-the pulpit) abundant; skunk cabbage common in wet places supplied by spring-water; green dragon common; sweet flag rare.

Water- Plnnta i n Family. - Arrowhead (two species, with several variations) is abundant. Has large, arrow-shaped leaves and white flowers in threes, and grows along the sloughs. Water plantain and arrow-grass are sometimes found, growing in same situation as last.

Orchids. - Showy orchis, eight or ten species of Habenaria, rattlesnake plantain, ladies' tresses, Pogonia, crane-fly orchis, adder's mouth, coral-root and five species of lady's slipper are found in this county, and Calopogon is common. The lady's slippers are

Ajnaryllis Family. - Star-grass is common in jjrairies. It is a modest little grass-like plant, putting forth its conspicious, yellow, three-petaled flowers in June.

Iris Family. - The larger blue flag is becoming rare. Blue-eyed grass looks like the star-grass just mentioned, except that the flowers are white or pale blue. Its habitat is the prairie.

Lily FamJly. - Purple trilliuin, or three-leaved nightshade, and the large white trillium are abundant: flower in May. One or two other species of trillium sometimes occur. Bellwort is an early flower in the woods. Smaller Solomon's seal and false spikenard are common. "Wild orange-red lily is common in the margins of prairies which are not pastured and have never been broken. White dog's-tooth violet, white hellebore and great Solomon's seal are reported here. Yellow dog's tooth violet is abundant; it is a prominent fl<iwer in April, in the woods. Squill (eastern quamash, or wild h3'acinth) is also found in this county. Wild garlic, haying tops like our garden top-onions, and wild leek are common in low places not pastured.

liu.'ihes. - The bog-rush is a very common, yellowish, grass- like herb along roads and paths, especially those leading through the' forest; but it is also found to some extent in all other situations. Common, or soft rush is common, and several other species are also common.

Sedges. - There are three or four dozen species of sedge growing within the limits of any one county, but they are all unimportant plants. They have a grass-like appearance, but can readily be distinguished from the grasses by their having triangular stems and bur-like tops (seed clusters), while the grasses have round or roundish stems. "What is generally called lake grass along the rivers is a true sedge, and its English name is great bulrush. It is by far the largest of the sedges. The river club-rush is next in size.

Grasses. - Blue grass takes the lead for prevalence and utility. Next, two species of fox-tail. Besides these the most common grasses are white grass, rice cut grass, Indian rice or water oats, timothy, rush grass (two species), bent grass, wood reed-grass, dropseed (two genera); reed bent-grass, blue joint grass, porcupine grass, fresh-water cord-grass, Koeleria, Eatonia (two species), melic grass, fowl meadow grass and its congener, Glyceria fluitans, low spear-grass, red top, Eragrostis (three species), fescue (two species), chess, Bromus ciliatus, reed (a tall, broom-corn-like grass growing in dense fields in the swamps of tlie river bottom), Hordeura pratense (a kind of wild barley), two species of Ijme-grass or wild rye, bottle-brush grass, reed canary grass, Paspalum, wire grass, eight species of panic-grass, among them two kinds of tickle-grass, and one old-witch grass, crab-grass and barn-yard grass, sand-bur (in sand) and two species of beard-grass. About two dozen other kinds of grass can be found in the county, but they are all very rare.

Ferns. - Maiden-hair, brake, a spleenwort, a shield fern, a bladder-fern, one species of flowering fern and the sensitive fern are commmon in the order here named, while two or three other ferns may be found.