260 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



collections. Some years ago 

 Mr. Carl Runge had the largest 

 private cactus collection in the 

 city, if not in the State, Mexi- 

 can as well as Texas collection 

 of cacti. Some of the rare Mex- 

 ican varieties, when blooming, 

 were of especial beauty, but 

 also many of the blooming Tex- 

 as cerei cacti were exceedingly 

 attractive and were very much 

 in demand by the public, espe- 

 cially ladies. Some of these 

 cacti would bloom only a cquple 



the Mission San Juan, have col- 

 lections of the large variety of 

 serpentine cactus, which are 

 very attractive in bloom time 

 on account of the deep red and 

 nearly blending rich colors. The 

 cactus wren and other weaver 

 birds prefer to build their nests 

 in those high cactus trees, as 

 also the mocking bird and red 

 bird. 



The hilly regions with the post- 

 oak valleys in olden days abounded 



A LoNGEARED RaBBIT BeING DraGGED AwAY BY OnE OF THE TOM CaTS 



of days, whilst others remained 

 in full bloom for weeks, or new 

 sprouts would develop during 

 night into gorgeous flowers and 

 delight the spectator, especially 

 the small rotund or oblong and 

 oval" shaped cacti encountered 

 in the hilly regions close to San 

 Antonio and around Helotes, 

 Boerne, Fredericksburg, Kerr- 

 ville. New Braunfels and other 

 Texas cities. Some of our orna- 

 mental and attractive ceme- 

 teries, and private owners near 



with lots of small and even large 

 game now and then, but of late 

 years the country around the head 

 of the river, up to Wetmore, has 

 been building up so rapidly, and 

 the old hunting grounds converted 

 into cultivated land, that game of 

 all kind is getting mighty scarce 

 around there, with the exception of 

 an occasional squirrel, a few quail, 

 and the cottontail rabbit and the 

 long eared " lepuseommunis. " 



The f^Emer^,<in general, and a 

 friend there in particular, do rot 



