WASHINGTON TO SAN FRANCISCO 147 



straight line for Kansas City, over a rich alluvial plain, with 

 numerous clumps of trees — poplars, planes, etc. Steep bluffs, 

 from one hundred to two hundred feet high, were frequent, 

 either bare or wooded. As we approached the city we came 

 near the river again, and here there were bluffs of rock of 

 cretaceous sands or limestones — a typical rich prairie country. 

 The Missouri here was like liquid mud, with a swift stream 

 and numerous eddies. On reaching the city I breakfasted at 

 the Station Hotel, bought my ticket for Sioux City, and after 

 much trouble got my trunk and lecture diagrams checked 

 through. We started at 11 and reached Council Bluffs, where 

 I had to stay the night, at 6.30, the whole way along level 

 prairie with the river always in sight. At the hotel here were 

 pleasant female waiters instead of the usual white, brown, or 

 black men waiters. Leaving early next morning I saw abund- 

 ance of water-birds, especially thousands of grebes, scuttling 

 off from the banks as the train passed, leaving long trails on 

 the water. At Missouri Valley, a large village, we had to wait 

 an hour and a half. Here the plain was several miles wide, 

 bounded by sloping bluffs of loess, often covered with deep 

 black mould. I walked on to some waste ground, but could 

 find no flowers, the soil being very dry, with a little grass and 

 a few stunted shrubs just sprouting. About twenty miles 

 further we reached Sioux City, where the bluffs come close 

 to the river. The city is on gentle slopes which merge into 

 high rolling prairie inland, intersected by deep valleys ; but 

 at this time of year it was looking rather arid. 



Three lectures had been arranged for me here by Mr. D. 

 H. Talbot on behalf of the Natural History Society, and 

 Mr. E. H. Stone had kindly offered me hospitality in his 

 very pretty house in the suburbs. In the afternoon Mr. Tal- 

 bot took me to call upon a lady who made beautiful drawings 

 in oil of native flowers. These were very skilfully executed, 

 and almost equal to those of Miss North at Kew. I lectured 

 here Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, on " Colours of 

 Animals," " Mimicry," and " Oceanic Islands," and every day 

 had drives or excursions about the country or to Mr. Talbot's 

 zoological farm. On the Sunday morning after my arrival 



