126 THE NAUTILUS. 



ant Valley and had long talks with his guide, Al Doyle, at 

 Flagstaff. Mr. Ferriss knows everybody, as this is his fif- 

 teenth trip to Arizona. We found no snails but the cutest 

 little cacti ever! One I mailed home is watching me as I 

 write and holding for me on each of its curved spines a 

 pleasant memory. 



Three miles off our road we see two acres of grapes and 

 alfalfa right on top of a natural bridge. And you cannot 

 realize that you are on an arch 150 feet high, 140 wide, 400 

 long and 75 thick until you follow the path around and 

 down, get underneath and gaze upward. It was as interesting 

 as geometry to solve this "pons" saeculorum. A large spring 

 carries lime compounds in solution. It flows to the granite 

 canyon walls of Pine Creek. On evaporating, the deposit of 

 calcareous tufa tries to fill the canyon bed of the creek. Here 

 a battle royal is fought and the overwhelmed stream capitu- 

 lates with a subway, Q. E. D. Just like the ice bridges we 

 crossed in the Sierras, the avalanche blocks the stream, which 

 bores its way through, and the gentle murmurs from below 

 whisper its presence. 



Before leaving this oasis we found a So-norclla which Mr. 

 Ferriss declared to be the queen of them all. And here I 

 solved my mystery how to find new species. When I am 

 tired out and have said very decidedly, "Come on, let's quit. 

 There is absolutely nothing here," my companion hears not, 

 heeds not, but soon sings out, "Sonorella, one bone. A fine 

 one. New species." Then I go to work again and soon find 

 a "live" one. Dark catches us with fifteen or tw r enty good 

 dead ones and four or five live ones. And how we had to dig 

 for them! The sun shone merrily. It was very hot but 

 patience, perseverance, and hard work accomplished the im- 

 possible. And is not this a key to success in every walk 

 of life? 



We were glad to run into Pine in Pleasant Valley. A 

 place ever to cherish and to which we are to return after our 

 mentor, Dr. Miller, leaves us at Grand Canyon. Pine is in a 

 valley about three miles long and one wide. Its elevation is 

 5500 feet and black lava mountains 3000 feet higher covered 



