An Analytic Study of Faunal Changes in Indiana

Abstract

It is a matter of common knowledge that the fauna and flora of the Central States have changed greatly during the last century. The changes in Indiana have been referred to incidentally or discussed at some length in various places. An extensive analysis of them has not been published heretofore. The greatest obstacle to such an analysis is the lack of positive information as to the former abundance of most species. From local histories, tales of exploration, reminiscences of oldest inhabitants, and the like we can obtain a fairly accurate picture of the larger species, the game birds and animals and even the larger fishes. But our knowledge of the former abundance of the native mice, the chipmunks, the less conspicuous birds, the smaller fishes, and more particularly of the mollusks, crustaceans, insects and other small creatures, is necessarily very limited. In some instances, deductions can be drawn from the position the species occupies in the general scheme of nature. It is the purpose of this article to collate and discuss the data that are available on the subject. The facts to be considered may be grouped under the following heads: 1. The extermination of the bison at about the time white settlers became numerous. 2. The extermination of the beaver, couguar and wapiti not long after the disappearance of the bison.