63 



general level of the mesa. Their beds are composed mostly of 

 cleaii; water-borne sand, which is arranged in bars that indicate 

 the agency of either thunder-storms or freshets due to rapidly 

 melting snow. These arroyos are bordered not only by the 

 healthiest of mesquites, as stated above, but also, especially 

 along their higher stretches, by exuberant ironwoods, palo 

 verdes, smokebushes, etc.; while the stony soil between them 

 supports bisnagas (Echinocactus), ''organ-pipe" cacti, and an 

 extraordinary profusion of early spring flowers. Sometimes 

 an ''island" of small trees, from the bases of which wild 

 gourd (Cucurhita palmata) vines radiate, will be found in the 

 very middle of a broad arroyo. It is evident that the Wash 

 Association is here much more extensive than the correspond- 

 ing zone in the lower valley of the Colorado River (cf . Grinnell , 

 1914, 82-84), doubtless because of the long, gradual slope on 

 the western side of Pattie Basin, 



The highest belt of the whole slope, adjoining the bare, rocky 

 incline of the mountains themselves, is characterized by the 

 number and size of the ocotillas (Fouquieria); and along the 

 lower edge of this "association," if it deserve such a designa- 

 tion, the genuine upland desert flora, and at least the avian 

 fauna, are to be seen at their best. I am quite convinced 

 that a pleasant surprise is in store for the first botanist to 

 explore this particular region. Is it not suggestive, for in- 

 stance, that on the slopes three or four miles south of the 

 butte called the Caparote, I found mesquite trees with trunks 

 close to three feet in diameter at the point of branching? 



Our attempts to collect pronghorns, an object to which all 

 other activities were subordinated during our stay in Pattie 

 Basin, met with scant success. The best opportunity of all, 

 resulting in a failure, came on the first morning of our hunting. 

 Thereafter, however, we continued hopefully for many days, 

 under exceptionally trying climatic conditions and at all hours 

 except the insufferable noon-day, to range over a country 

 from which the quarry had obviously been nearly cleaned out. 

 The present notes are nothing more than the sum of the natural 

 history observations incidental to each day's work. 



On April 2, Captain Funcke, Mr. Rockwell, and I started 



