212 Rambles of a Botanist in New Mexico. [April, 
plant was about to flower in some one’s conservatory in an east- 
ern city. The plant is well known to be a native of old Mexico. 
I had seen many forms of it growing along the Rio Gila in Ari- 
zona, where it constitutes, together with stately yuccas and giant 
cacti, a marked feature of the landscape. Here, near Santa Rita 
del Cobre, I had in my rambles come upon several localities 
where a fine large form of it was abundant. In May I had. 
observed the starting up of the flower stalks from the centres of 
such as were to flower this year. Now, near the end of June, I 
set forth one morning in the direction of the nearest locality of 
the plant which I had remembered, expecting to see them 
in bloom. My anticipations were realized after an hour's ride. 
On coming within sight of the mountain side where they grow, 
the great branching stems were visible, each branch terminating 
in an umbel of greenish yellow. I rode up to the nearest speci- 
men, but was unable to reach, from the saddle, the lowest branch 
of the gigantic panicle. In the act of tying my horse to another 
of them I was surprised by the fall of an abundant shower of 
honey. Every one of the great mass of tubular flowers was filled 
with a clear, rather fetid liquid, very sweet, however, to the taste; 
and a jarring of the great stalk was sufficient to bring down mel- 
lifluous rain more copious than agreeable. This New Mexican- 
species is not identical with the century plant common in cultiva- 
tion, but is probably new and undescribed. During the weeks of 
my delightful sojourning in the Santa Ritas my favorite rambles 
were along the streamlets that come, I had almost said running, : 
but rather dripping, down from among the higher peaks and 
ridges. The smaller of these are commonly lost among the rocks | 
midway between their sources and the plains below ; and the best 
of them sink into the thirsty ground as soon as they get fairly 
down out of the mountains. Nothing less than a great river — 
could preserve itself and get across those sun-burnt, r ainless 
tracts that separate the different mountain districts of the sou 
west. It was charming however, when among the hills, to g0 "} 
several miles of some ravine where a scanty rill came trickling 
down. On one side, that which sloped northward, one could pro- 
ceed under the shade of pines, oaks and cedars and salvias blue 
= or scarlet-flowered, purple clematis climbing up among wild 
cherry bushes, and other delicate shade-loving plants peculi 
“the region. On the opposite side where the slope was to t 
