WILD FI.OWHRS OF COLORADO. 33 



to see the hot sprinos that — "Well, sir, they will bile 'n egg in 

 five minutes." And sure enough, there they were, steaming hot 

 and constantly boiling. One wondered how long they had been 

 so, what made them so, and how long they would continue to boil. 

 The ground around us seemed actually hot, and the men ot our 

 party, the pockets of whose hunting jackets were filled with 

 every thing that \\'ould "go off," decided that they were safer 

 a little further down the niountain. Part of the party wanted 

 to trv the hot baths, and left us for the bath house. I'he rest, 

 prospecting among the rocks, reported having seen thirty-eight 

 hot sprmgs. 



Growing close by one of the smaller si)rings I found this 

 knight's-plume. I tlo not think it )'et possesses a botanical name. 

 1 ha\'c not been al)le to find one. It is not a common fiower in 

 this State, and I ha\-e only seen this one color — lax'cnder. It 

 grows from two to three feet high, and horn one root will spring 

 either five, seven, or nine stalks, cox'ered with a fine feathery 

 blossom which so resembles a plume. It blossoms from the 

 latter part of August until October. 



One of the attendants at the springs told me of a xery rare 

 fiower he had fi)und two or three da)s before, and had in a \'ase 

 in his room. Expressing a wish to see it he brought it to me, 

 and I discox'cred it to be a wild orchid. The blossom was about 

 the size of a siK'cr dollar, and it had the rich brown markings so 

 peculiar to the orchid. I regretted exceedingly that it had been 

 broken from the plant so long that a correct [)ainting could not be 



