DEPARTMENT OE BOTANICAI. RESEARCH. 67 



in North America and receives an inflow of water at more frequent intervals 

 than the Salton Basin to the northward. Besides estabHshing the fact that 

 the bottom of this basin is below sea-level, and other features of its relation 

 to the delta, the delta proper has been found to include a low plain to the 

 westward of the northern part of the Gulf of California. In addition to 

 various botanical data obtained in this work, new species of fishes and of 

 various other animals have been brought in. Topographical field notes made 

 by Mr. G. Sykes have served for the compilation of the map accompanying 

 this report. 



FEATURES OF NORTH AMERICAN DESERTS. 



The efforts toward making a brief survey of the more important arid areas 

 of the continent have been continued, and a brief study has been made of the 

 vegetation and general topography with some attention to the geological his- 

 tory of the regions in question. The demand for the information conveyed 

 in Publication No. 6, prepared by Messrs. Coville and MacDougal in 1903 

 having been so great that the edition was exhausted, it was deemed advisable 

 to compile the data included, together with the results of more recent field 

 work, bringing the whole out under the title of "Features of North American 

 Deserts." It is expected that this will appear early in 1908. Special atten- 

 tion has been given to the Tucson region, and the section upon the desert of 

 this area has been prepared by Prof. W. P. Blake, by request, and this part 

 of the contribution will be of great value in all researches carried on at the 

 Desert Laboratory. 



BIBLIOGRAPHICAL WORK. 



A complete card catalogue of the collection of books at the Desert Labora- 

 tory has been made by Mrs. Grace J. Livingston, who has continued her 

 valuable work in completion of the titles concerning evaporation. 



COOPERATIVE WORK, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. 



The Department has been accorded nuinerous privileges by various institu- 

 tions. Laboratory facilities and greenhouse space for experimental work 

 have been furnished for the use of various members of the staff by the man- 

 agement of the Hopkins Seaside Laboratory at Monterey, California, by the 

 Botanical Department of the LTniversity of Chicago, the New York Botanical 

 Garden, and by the Missouri Botanical Garden. The last-named institution, 

 through the courtesy of its director, Dr. William Trelease, has loaned numer- 

 ous books and periodicals for use for short periods by various members of the 

 staff. 



In accordance with a request made earlier by the Department, a field party 

 of the U. S. Geological Survey ran a series of levels to the Desert Laboratory 

 and affixed a benchmark to the eastern wall, giving its altitude as 2,663 feet. 



