CONDITION AND PLANTS OF THE RANGE. 5) 
Forest mountains in last year’s report apply equally to the foothills 
and mountains here and need not be repeated. | 
One hundred miles south of this region, in the vicinity of the 
Black Rock desert in Nevada, the conditions are very different 
although the general appearance of the two regions is similar. In the 
more southern locality the black sage is almost absent on the general 
mesa, being confined to the higher elevations in the hills and moun- 
tains, as is the case over large stretches on the gently sloping hillsides 
surrounding the Black Rock desert, as well as in the vicinity of 
Lovelock. Saltbush (Atriplex confertifolia) is the one desert shrub 
and practically the only plant in evidence at this time of the year 
over very extensive areas. The vegetation in the vicinity of Boiling 
Butte will serve as a representation of the flora. Quite a collection 
was made here from the ‘*sleek”’ Black Rock desert to the top of the 
butte. The first plants in the edge of the deserts are iodine weed 
(Spirostachys occidentalis) and pahute weed (Dondia depressa erecta) 
in bunches along the edges of the desert. .These are followed in turn 
by a scattering growth of salt grass (Distichlis spicata), grease wood 
(Sarcobatus vermiculatus), and saltbush (Atriplex torrey7). The latter 
thrives on more alkaline areas than the grease wood. On the general 
mesa are scattering growths of shrubbery such as saltbush (Aériplea 
confertifolia), bud sage (Artemisia spinescens), tetradymia (7etrady- 
mia spinosa), red sage (Aochia americana), hop sage (Grayia spinosa), 
rayless golden-rod (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus), and white sage 
(Hurotia lanata). All of the mesa plants extend up the side of the 
butte for a considerable distance and the red sage, hop sage, and white 
sage, together with Zetradymia canescens extend to the very top, 
where there are also found Lriogonum dichotomum, F. microthecium, 
and Li. hermani, Gilia pungens, bed straw (Galiuim multiflorum), and 
Lygodesmia spinosa. The black sage does not appear except at the 
higher altitudes about 600 feet above the general mesa. On _ the 
buttes there was a little Buckley’s bluegrass (Poa buchleyana), while 
Indian millet (Oryzopsis cuspidata) was found on the sandy knolls on 
the mesa. The shrubbery, however, is the most important feed, and 
all of the varieties mentioned are utilized, with the exception of the 
rayless golden-rod and the gilia. On the higher Granite Mountains 
to the northward there is a scattering growth of Juniper and, of course, 
more feed, consisting of species of clovers and sedges, together with 
the bluegrasses and sheep fescue already mentioned for the region. 
The feed in the vicinity of the hot spring was in striking contrast to 
that of the mesa and desert. The most conspicuous plant in the water 
is bulvush (Se7rpus olneyz), which is found even in the middle of the 
stream a short distance from the boiling spring. Farther along where 
the water was cooler, beard grass (Polypogon monspeliensis), Scirpus 
americanus, and prairie bulrush (Scirpus campestris) throve. Farther 
