38 
seen in great profusion when I visited the same region in September. 
Southward from Musquis we rode to Murphyville, and spent two days 
in the neighborhood. At that time of the year, early in July, the sur- 
rounding hills looked indeed desolate and barren. I deferred making 
observations in any of these western regions until a month or two later, 
for then the rains of August and September would give ‘a cheerful as- 
pect to the face of nature. While passing through on the train from 
Murphyville to El Paso, nature presented all along the route the same 
dreary aspect—no grass on the hills and mesas, or on the prairies. But 
in some places the numerous shrubs and yuccas gave a charm to the 
landscape. 
While in El Paso, three weeks in July and most of August, I saw no 
grass on the surrounding hills. The system of irrigation, here as else- 
where, brought forth a luxuriant growth of grass and other plants 
along the irrigating ditches and in the gardens. Among the grasses 
growing in the park at El Paso were fine specimens of Timothy (Phieum 
pratense), Read-top (Agrostis vulgaris) and Rye grass (Loliwm perenne); 
These were mixed with such grasses as are frequent on cultivated land 
in the Gulf States, Cynodon dactylon, Sorghum halepense, and Pani- 
cum sanguinale. It is worthy of note (as illustrating the value of the 
Grama-grasses in the summer), that several loads of hay were hauled 
in July into El Paso—grama hay it was called—cut in the mountain 
region, 10 miles north of the town. In the latter part of August the 
rainy weather caused a fresh start to the vegetation, and the green 
shoots springing up, gave quite a spring-like appearance to the land- 
seape. 
In journeying from El Paso eastward there could everywhere be seen 
the reviving vegetation. At Marfaa very cheerful view was presented, 
with the surrounding country favored with a carpet of green grass and 
other herbage. At Fort Davis and the neighboring regions plant-life 
had started forth in great profusion. At every point the green grasses 
appeared—on the flats, in the swampy places, on the high prairies, on 
the craggy mountain sides, on the narrow shelves at the sides of the steep 
_ cliffs. About the middle of September I went over to Medero Creek, 
30 miles south of Marfa. Here I found several of the gramas in abund- 
anee, though not spread over the surface to the extent that they were 
near Marfa and other places. But I collected in this region, on the hills 
and mesas, and near the sides of the creek, several grasses that I saw 
nowhere else. I have noted them in the appended list. Though many 
of the grasses have an extended range, certain species seem to be par- 
tial to one or two localities. Such sections might be characterized by 
certain grasses whose narrow range renders them, in their favorite 
haunts, a prominent feature of the vegetation. 
On the last day of September I started, with a young man and team, 
from Marfa towards the Staked Plains... Part of our route wasthrough =~ 
Limpia Caiion, north of Fort Davis, and the contrast in the aspects of a 
