PAINTED CANVAS OF THE DESERT 



99 



tion from wandering 

 coyotes and dogs, 

 water and food in its 

 succulent stems, and 

 still more food in 

 the ripe sweet fruit. 

 The latter is covered 

 with many fine spic- 

 ules and the Indians 

 skillfully remove 

 these by rubbing, so 

 as not to get the 

 prickers into the 

 fingers; for they are 

 very annoy ingand ir- 

 ritating if they find 

 their way into the 

 flesh. The ripe fruit 

 is gathered for food 

 by Mexicans and In- 

 dians, who make 

 from it a fine syrup, 

 delicious preserves 

 and other delicacies. 



ENGELMANN'S PRICKLY PEAR (Opuntia 

 Engelmannii) 



ENGELMANN'S PriCKLY Pear (Opuntia Engelmannii) 



Northern Mexico, Arizona, and Texas 



Next in our journey across the land of the burning sun we 

 find Engelmann's Prickly Pear here in Northern Mexico — a 

 very fine, large Opuntia which grows also in Texas and 

 Arizona. This cactus like several others has been named in 

 honor of Dr. George Engelmann, an early outstanding stu- 

 dent of cacti. The plant is a rather large shrub six to 



