The aid given by a number of persons has contributed substantially to
the present study. I am grateful to my wife, Avis J. Legler, who, more
than any single person, has unselfishly contributed her time to this
project; in addition to making all the histological preparations and
typing the entire manuscript, she has assisted and encouraged me in
every phase of the study. Dr. Henry S. Fitch has been most helpful in
offering counsel and encouragement. Thanks are due Professor E.
Raymond Hall for critically reading the manuscript.
Special thanks are due also to the following persons: Professor A. B.
Leonard for helpful suggestions dealing with photography and for
advice on several parts of the manuscript; Professor William C. Young
for the use of facilities at the Endocrine Laboratory, University of
Kansas; Professor Edward H. Taylor for permission to study specimens
in his care; Dr. Richard B. Loomis for identifying chigger mites and
offering helpful suggestions on the discussion of ectoparasites; Mr.
Irwin Ungar for identification of plants; and, Mr. William R.
Brecheisen for allowing me to examine his field notes and for
assistance with field work. Identifications of animal remains in
stomachs were made by Professor A. B. Leonard (mollusks, crustaceans),
Dr. George W. Byers (arthropods), and Dr. Sydney Anderson (mammals).
Miss Sophia Damm generously permitted the use of her property as a
study area and Mr. Walter W. Wulfkuhle made available two saddle
horses that greatly facilitated field work. The drawings (with the
exception of Fig. 21) are by Miss Lucy Jean Remple. All photographs
are by the author.
I am grateful also to the Kansas Academy of Science for three research
grants (totaling $175.00) that supported part of the work. The brief
discussion of taxonomic relationships and distribution results partly
from studies made by means of two research grants (totaling $150.00),
from the Graduate School, University of Kansas, for which I thank Dean
John H. Nelson.