NIAGARA FALLS AND VICINITY II 



Niagara. The botanist will here find a greater variety of plants 

 within a given space than in almost any other district. 1 



But it is in the wonderful views of the falls and the rapids and 

 the gorge which can be obtained from this island, that its chief at- 

 traction lies. The various view points are easily found, and the 

 stroller about Goat island would best come on them unawares. 

 Mention may be made of the glimpses df the American falls ob- 

 tained from the head of the stairway leading to Luna island, as well 

 as from the island itself, and the panorama of rapids, falls and gorge 

 from the Terrapin rocks at the edge of the Horseshoe falls. Every 

 visitor is advised to descend the Biddle stairway and view the falls 

 from below. No charge is made unless one wishes to enter the 

 Cave of the winds, a most thrilling experience for a person of nerve 

 and one unparalleled by any other which may legitimately be ob- 

 tained at Niagara. But, even if one does not care to go behind 

 the falls, a visit to the foot of the stairway, and a walk along the 

 path at the base of the vertical cliff of limestone will well repay the 

 exertion of the climb. Many noble views of the gorge and the 

 falls may be obtained from the stairway, while from certain points 

 below, impressive sights of the small central fall are to be had. 

 Here too can be seen the undermining action of the spray, which 

 removes the soft shale, leaving the limestone ledges projecting till 

 in the course of time they fall for want of support. On the talus 

 slopes at the foot of the cliff good specimens of minerals and oc- 

 casional fossils may generally be obtained. 



After leaving the Biddle stairway, and the Terrapin rocks, the 

 visitor will proceed southward along the river bank to the bridge 

 leading to the Three Sister islands. On the way the geologist will 

 pause where a wood-road leads off to the left into the famous gravel 

 pit of Goat island, since there the shell-bearing gravels are ex- 

 posed. 2 



*A catalogue of the flowering and fern-like plants growing without culti- 

 vation in the vicinity of the falls of Niagara, by David F. Day, is pub- 

 lished in the 14th annual report of the commissioners of the state 

 reservation. In this a total of 909 species are recorded, a large proportion 

 of which are credited to Goat island. 



2 These shells are described in chapter 5. 



