Col. James Stevenson. — Editorial f 



Col. Stevenson's health had been failing for some time, and he 

 left Washington some weeks before his death for Gloucester, 

 Mass., to spend the summer. As he found himself still losing 

 instead of gaining ground, he went to New York to place himself 

 in the hands of a physician. He was accompanied on his trip by 

 his wife and his father-in-law, Mr. A. H. Evans. Col. Stevenson 

 was born in Maysville, Ky. , in 1840. When a boy he evinced a 

 fancy for frontier life, and at an early age he joined the staff of 

 Prof. Hayden, chief of the Geological Survey. He spent several 

 winters among the Blackfeet and Sioux Indians, and remained 

 with Prof. Hayden until the war broke out, when he served on 

 the staff 01 Gen. Fitz John Porter. After the war Col. Steven- 

 son returned to the Geological Survey. In 1875 he surveyed 

 and located for the first time the head-waters of the Snake River, 

 and was the first white man to make the ascent of the Great 

 Teton Mountain. When Major Powell took charge of the survey 

 he was appointed its chief of staff. Subsequently he was detailed 

 for ethnological, work for the Smithsonian Institution and ex- 

 plored the cliff dwellings of Arizona, studying the habits, customs 

 and religious myths of the Navajo, Zuni and other Indian tribes. 

 In 1872 Col. Stevenson married a daughter of Mr. Alexander H. 

 Evans. The high altitudes in which Col. Stevenson was forced 

 to carry on a great part of his work weakened the walls of his 

 heart, so that for months past its action has been seriously im- 

 paired. The funeral took place on the following Thursday, and 

 was largely attended by his scientific and other friends. 



EDITORIAL. 



An index to the first four volumes of this magazine is in prep- 

 aration, and will be issued when ready in the place of our July 

 and August numbers, which we have not published. Our sub- 

 scribers will receive twelve numbers for a year's subscription, 

 exclusive of the index. 



We shall have more to say regarding the results of our three 

 weeks' vacation in June and July on the Colorado Desert (with 

 the thermoneter at only 144 ). What with catching fish out of 

 hot water, gathering living and fossil shells, sketching Indian 

 paintings and carvings on the rocks, examingthe rich mines of 

 gold and silver, opals, salt, etc., and noting the botanical and 

 other aspects of a section of the county new to us we were well 

 occupied. 



The completion of the series of articles on cacti is indefinitely 

 postponed, as we have lost nearly all the illustrations we had in 

 stock (including over fifty varieties of cacti) by fire in May. Our 

 museum and residence has been changed, having just moved to 

 North J Street, near 24th, where our friends and correspondents 

 are invited to call. Our business office is now at 961 Fourth 

 Street, on the Plaza. Help us to make Vol. V of this magazine 

 better than any previous one. 



