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[[underline]] Left the Belle Fourche [[/underline]]

[[underline]] June 2 [[/underline]]
We each killed a Flicker & I caught a Reithrodontomys. Loring got 2 sitomys. Made up 9 mammals & started at 8 A.M. Followed up river half a mile & turned up a gulch and climbed to top of prairie.  Aneroid read at river 1800 & on edge of prairie 2300.  Passed one ranch with good spring 10 miles from starting place & no more ranches & only stagnant water all day.  Camped at sundown on prairie with good grass but only stagnant water from a cattle wallow & cow chips for wood.  Barometer 2500 at camp. Probably came 25 miles, or more.  good road on prairie. Headed straight for Bear Butte wherever surface would allow.  Have been in sight of the Black Hills all day & at night they appear only 15 miles to the first pines. Followed edge of Belle Fourche Valley & could look down to river most of the time.  The valley spreads out & becomes wider & shallower as we go up it.  Can see a few cottonwoods along the bottom.  junipers & brush grow along the sides lower down but vanish as the valley widens. The prairie is smoothe & grassy.  splendid grazing but too dry for crops.  Could see ranches in valleys on both sides of us. Prairie birds are abundant but little signs of mammals seen. A few Cynomys seen & holes of Thonomys & Spermophiles & Badgers.

Set out a lot of traps at camp but it was too dark to do more than put them in paths. Shot Plover & Curlew for food.  Found nests of [[??Schobeaplogus]].  Calamospiza & Otocaris.