37 
prairie almost entirely destitute of vegetation, and on the steep slopes 
of the hills no grass at all among the numerous timber growths. I saw 
a large number of goats browsing on the numerous shrubs and trees 
along the cliffs and on the hill-sides. Along the irrigating ditches by 
the Government gardens, amid a rank growth of other herbage, I found 
good specimens of such grasses as Chloris elegans, Sporobolus cryptan- 
drus, Eragrostis mexicana, Panicum obtusum, Panicum colonum, and a few 
others. From Fort Davis I took an expedition to the “ Pineries,” and was 
favored with the company of Mr. William Lloyd, an enthusiastic orni- 
thologist and entomologist, who was making a collection of birds for a 
New York museum. Our route was through the western division of 
Limpia Caion, our road winding along the clear flowing Limpia Creek 
towards its source. 
All along the Limpia Creek and its branches much of the land is used — 
for pasture ; generally in the broad parts of the valleys, but also where 
the valleys are made abrupt by the hills sloping down to either side of 
the ereek. I ere by i side of some of the ravines and cliffs rem- 
nants of last year’s flora, such as dry stalks of the grasses Hlionurus 
candidus, Phicom dlistichoph ylla, and a few others that are prominent 
in the fresh vegetation of the mountain sides in the fall. In all the 
ae regions of Texas the rains of August and September bring 
new life to vegetation. Through the spring months—though many of 
the trees and shrubs are in bloom in May—there seems to be with the 
grasses and other herbage an entire suspension of growth away from 
the water-courses. I noticed in a few places, still covering small areas, 
dry plants of some of the Grama grasses of the preceding year. It 
would seem that, late in the spring and early in the summer, these con- 
tinue to preserve their nutritive properties, and where they have not 
been browsed upon or cropped, furnish forage until the fresh growth 
in the fall. 
I saw in the Limpia region several specimens of the remarkable “ loco” 
weed (Astragalus mollisimus). It appeared much more common on the 
broad valleys than on the hill-sides. Its direful effects on cattle and 
horses who taste it are well known. I heard of its having caused also 
the death of many sheep, but no reports of goats being seriously affected. © 
It may be that they entirely avoid it. Itis worth mentioning here that 
donkeys (Mexican burros) feed on the “loco” without any injury to 
them. — 
Up in the Pineriesin June I saw but very few grasses along the creek. 
At the base of one of the foot-hills, near the border of the creek, I 
found a few plants of Poa andina. At the old avernment saw-mill I 
gathered seme specimens of Panicum bulbosum. 
Returning to Fort Davis, we rode over to the picturesque region of 
Musquis, south of the fort. Here I saw by the sides of the creek, as 
it flows through the cation, a few plants, here and there, of Tripsacam 
dactyloides, Diplachne dubia, Setaria Selene, OBS OF hers. These w re also 
