PEALE.J PELICAN CREEK SPEINGS. 121 



really a portion of the Lake Springs, although more conveniently de- 

 scribed here. He writes :* 



In tlie valley near Pelican Creek a few springs are issuing from beneath the crust, 

 distributing their waters over the bottom, and depositing the oxide of iron, sulphur, 

 and silica, forming the most beautiful blending of gay colors. Although the waters 

 of the springs are 160^ F., yet the channels are lined with a thick growth of mosses 

 and other plants, and in the water is an abundance of vividly-green algous vegeta- 

 tion. 



The spring here described by Dr. Haydeu was visited by Professor 

 Comstocli in 1871 and named the Green Spring. He says : 



At the further edge of this deposit [red ocher] is a magnificent hot sulphur spring, 

 the stream from which sinks after running a few rods, then passes over the surface 

 again along th^ edge of the ore bed, iiually discharging into Pelican Creek. The tem- 

 perature of the water, according to Dr. Heizmann, is 104° F. Large quantities of a 

 slimy, green cryptogam grow in the bed of the stream, which suggests the name, Green 

 Spring, proposed at the head of this section, t 



Dr. Heizmann says : 



Although a few of these springs steamed and gave off the ordor of sulphureted 

 hydrogen, none bubbled carbonic acid. Curiously, the red bank contained carbonate 

 of iron. * * It is of mixed consistency, color, and texture, portions being soft and 

 oily to the touch, others hard and irrefragable ; from dark to light red, with purple 

 and brown intermixed ; comjiact or loose, and these differences not owing to the depth 

 from which taken. t 



Animal life occurs in one spring. 



On the iron deposit described above there is, some little distance to 

 the right of the sulphur spring, a cold iron spring in which, as indicated 

 on the topographical notes of 1871, the water has a temx)erature of 

 66° F. 



The springs of this lower group are situated near the trail crossing of 

 Pelican Creek, about a mile and a half from the mouth of the creek. 



Three Forlis Group. — These springs, which are few in number and com- 

 paratively unimportant, are in the broad upper valley of Pelican Creek, 

 near the mouth of West Pelican Creek. There are a number of springs 

 scattered along the creek, some in the stream and others on the banks. 

 Many of them are hot and of considerable size, but the majority are dead 

 or dying — cold springs being the rule. There are a few old geyser cones 

 of hard siliceous deposit, but as geysers they are now extinct. 



WEST PELICAN CREEK SPEINGS. 



The following description is kindly furnished by Mr. W. H. Holmes: 



Pelican Creek flows to the south along the eastern border of the Park, near the base 

 of the Yellowstone Range. West PeLcan Creek is asmall branch of this stream that 

 comes down from the highlands to the northwest. i\bout three miles above its junc- 

 tion with the main stream it emerges from the low hills and meanders an open valley 

 whoso gently sloping sides rise to the height of 1,000 feet or more. 



In approaching this valley from the timbered hills to the north the first object that 

 attracted my attention was a coluum of steam that appeared to issue from the hill- 

 side at a con.siderable elevation above the creek. 



Descending to the creek at its exit from the hills and crossing obliquely to the south, 

 I soon reached the 8i)Ot from which the column of steam ascended. Some 300 feet 

 above the creek I came upon a caldron of boiling mud which presented the usual 

 appearance of the mud springs so common in this region. The pool is about 10 feet 

 in length by 7 in width, and is surrounded by a low rim of dried mud. The gray 

 liquid mud is kept in a constant state of agitation by the rising of great bubbles of gas 

 from the vent beneath, and slender jets are thrown to the height of 5 or (i feet. Sur- 

 rounding the main caldron are a number of small fumeroles, all of which have made 



• Report of U. S. Geol. Surv. of the Terr, for 1871-1872, p. 13G. 

 + Report of Reconnaissance of N. W. Wyoming, p. 1U4. 

 X ma, p. 298. 



