514 



NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



giving interesting contrasts 'in both 

 fauna and flora. Elevation: about 

 2500 ft. 



Reached from Spur, M. K. & T. R. K. 



12. A southern mountain association, 

 lying at the intersection of Jeff Davis, 

 Brewster, Reeves, and Pecos counties. 

 (A2.) This region contains ,the Davis 

 mountains, and could well contain 250 

 sq. mi. or more. Very rough and wild 

 country, having a great deal of typical 

 western flora and fauna. Abundant big 

 game. Should be preserved as a national 

 preserve. Most interesting bird and 

 mammal region. Local assistance is al- 

 most necessary to anyone going into this 

 country, as it is entirely untouched by 

 civilization. Elevation: about 4000 ft. 



Can be reached from Fort Davis, but is 

 very inaccessible at present. 



13. Another southern mountain associa- 

 tion, including the Sierra Vieja moun- 

 tains. (A2.) A region about as in 

 No. 12, but even less accessible. These 

 last two regions — 12 and 13 — will be, 

 probably, the last stand oftypical Texas 

 big game, as deer, cats, bear, etc., and 

 either (or better still, both) should be set 

 aside as game preserves in the very near 

 future. Elevation: between 4000 and 

 5000 ft. 



Reached from Valentine with 

 difficulty. 



IJ).. A small region in the center of 

 Ochiltree County, the extreme north 

 end of tne Pan-handle (B4), should be set 

 aside at once as a State Park, as it con- 

 tains the site of an unexcavated Pueblo 

 village of considerable interest. It lies 

 in the heart of a typical Prairie forma- 

 tion, and could include about 20 sq. mi. 

 Elevation: about 3000 ft. 



Reached from Ochiltree. 



15. A small region in central Cameron 

 County is an interesting valley with 

 dominant Mexican type of biota. (A4.) 

 About 20 sq. mi. would cover it and make 

 a most interesting State Park. Eleva- 

 tion: about 200 ft. or less. 



Reached very easily from Harlington. 



16. A tropical association is found on 

 the lower Rio. Grande. (A3.) A large 

 game preserve, under national protection 

 (as it is on the Mexican line) should be 

 set aside at once somewhere on the Rio 

 Grande. This is about the most tropical 

 of the associations found in the United 

 States. Both Mexican and more north- 

 ei'n biotic forms abound. Deer are still 

 very abundant, as are the larger mam- 

 mals of other species which characterize 

 the Mexican line. Many birds are found 

 here that are to be found in no other 

 region in the United States. From''an 

 ecological point of view there are simply 

 endless problems to be solved in both 



plant and animal life. Area: from 200 

 sq. mi., up. Elevation: less than 200 ft., 

 for the most part. 

 Brownsville St. L. & B. R. R. 



17. A steppe and semi-desert associa- 

 tion, that lies in central Randall and 

 Armstrong counties, comprising about 

 200 sq. mi. Characterized by sand 

 areas, flood plains, waterfalls, ravines, 

 bluffs, gypsum caves, and calcophytes. 

 (A3.) Known as the Paladura canyon, 

 and is typical of a very large region. 

 Canyon walls 850 ft. high cut through 

 Triasic, Tertiary and Permean beds. 

 Many fine fossils, mostly reptilian. 

 A bill jointly establishing White Moun- 

 tain National Park and Paladura Na- 

 tional Park has been introduced into 

 Congress several times since 1907, but 

 is not reported back from the committee. 

 Should be preserved by the nation. 

 Elevation: about 3000 ft. 



Reached from Amarilla. 



18. A bay association. (A3.) The 

 coastal region of Calhoun, Jackson and 

 Matagorda counties is one of the largest 

 winter feeding grounds of ducks and 

 geese in Texas, and hundreds of thou- 

 sands of ducks of many species, together 

 with the Canada goose, brandt, snow 

 goose and blue goose, winter here. 

 Fresh, brackish and salt water. Islands, 

 mostly sand, afford ideal retreats for 

 water fowl. By protecting this region, 

 a big step would be taken in the conser- 

 vation of our water fowl. Elevation: 

 little above sea level. 



Reached from Port Lavaca. 



REFERENCES 



Bailey, V. Biological Survey of Texas. 



N. A. Fauna, 25. 1905. 

 Bartlett, J. R. Explorations and Inci- 

 dents in Texas, New Mexico, Cal- 

 ifornia, Sonora, and Chihuahua. 

 London, 1854. 

 Bray, W. L. Distribution and Adap- 

 tation of the Vegetation of Texas. 

 Bull. 82 Univ. Texas (Sci. Ser. No. 

 10). 1906. 



Vegetation of the Sotol Country of 

 Texas. Bull. Univ. Texas, No. 60. 

 1905. 



Ecological Relations of the Vegetation 

 of Western Texas. Bot. Gaz., 32: 

 99-123; 195-217; 262-291. 1901. 

 Cahn, A. R. Summer Birds in the Vicin- 

 ity of Lake Caddo, Harrison County, 

 Texas. Wils. Bull., xxxiii, pp. 165- 

 176, 1921. 



Brown Pelicans at Home. Nat. Hist., 

 xxii, pp. 416-429, 1922. 



Louisiana Hevons and Reddish Egrets 

 at Home. Nat. Hist., xxiii, pp. 470- 

 489, 1923. 



