ILLINOIS AUDUBON SOCIETY 11 



Robbers' Cave in the face of it. Here the stream is narrow ; be- 

 yond, it runs in little rapids, a prospect to please the fisherman. 

 Even more interesting to us was the field for the botanist. 

 Whenever we stopped to rest we saw this. Some sixty kinds of 

 trees grow here, we are told, such a variety as probably we 

 could not find in another place in this section of the country. We 

 found a long list of ferns, which grow in great luxuriance. The 

 banks of the streams must be a paradise of blossom in spring. 

 Here it came to us most forcibly that there was need of prompt 

 action by the state, lest this rich collection of native plants be 

 sacrificed before it is too late. 



Already some of the trees near Rattlesnake Rock have been 

 cut down, and sheep are pastured on the banks. One can never 

 tell when some unappreciative and vandal hand will get control 

 of the land. The canyon area contains some thousand acres, a 

 large tract, to be sure ; but this land is along the streams where 

 it is rocky, exposed, and cut with ravines. Consequently it is 

 practically useless to the farmer, but it would be of inestimable 

 value as a public recreation ground in our rapidly developing state. 

 Time passed and the sun of the short September day was 

 getting low in the west. We had reached Miners' Ravine. Here 

 we left the main stream and followed to its head, a mile or more 

 up country, a beautiful little canyon where a small tributary fell 

 over and under the shelving rocks of limestone, alone worth the 

 trip to see. But we had to admit that we were tired, and were 

 glad that our thoughtful Warren friends had arranged for our 

 lodging at a comfortable farm house. 



Next morning we were out early and ready for more of it. 

 We walked back to our starting place of the day before, this 

 time, however, taking the three mile stretch of road on the up- 

 lands, to the bridge on the old Millville site. Asters and other 

 fall flowers were in their splendor in the open ravines. We 

 found a spring we had been told about. Then, following the 

 directions of our guides of the day before, w T e started to explore 

 the canyon of the West Branch. This is a smaller stream than 

 the main river, but quite as picturesque and more accessible. 

 Back and forth the stream runs from right to left at the foot of 

 the cliffs, affording the same delightful views and the same pro- 

 fusion of vegetation. Here were possibilities for a week's ex- 

 cursion ; but our visit had to come to an end. Clouds were 

 gathering again, and before the last roll of films was exposed, 

 the rain began to fall, and we were glad to see the car that came 

 to take us back to Warren and our train. 



We are going again ; that was settled. And we are going to 

 tell others of this beautiful spot. Moreover, we shall do what 

 we can to urge our fellow citizens to see that our law makers 

 appropriate the money necessary to purchase this rare country 

 for a great state park while it is still unspoiled. 



RUTH MARSHALL, Rockford College. 



