SCIENCE. 



THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 



Annual Report of the Superintendent of the 

 Yellowstone National Park — to ihe Secretary of 

 the Interior, for the year 1880. — Washington, 1881. 



The chief feature of interest found in this report is a 

 description of what is termed the Hoodoo Region, which 

 is a terribly broken and eroded portion of the head 

 branches of the East Fork of the Yellowstone and the 

 Passamaria or Stinking Water Fork of the Big Horn, and 

 which until this occasion had never been visited by tour- 

 ists or government explorers ; all previous information 

 having been derived from a small party of prospecting 

 miners, two ot whom were killed by the Indians. 



Mr. P. W. Norris, the Superintendent of the Park, hav- 

 ing arrived on the ground with his party, some made 

 sketches of the many weird wonders of erosion, copies of 

 which may be found on another page of this issue, and 

 Mr. Norris with an attendant took the elevations of the 

 adjacent peaks, including Hoodoo Mountain. The latter 

 was found to be 10,700 feet high (anneroid-barometer 

 measurement). 



This mountain is about a mile in length, and must pre- 

 sent a most extraordinary appearance, and while prob- 

 ably itself not a crater, it is evidently of volcanic origin, 

 and was eroded in its present foim. Its southern face 

 is still changing, here extending frcm 500 to 1500 feet 

 below the summit ; the frosts and storms of untold ages 

 in an Alpine climate have worn a"bout a dozen labyrinths 

 of countless deep, narrow, tortuous channels amid the 

 long, slender, tottering pillars, shafts and spires of con- 

 glomerate breccia and other remaining volcanic rocks. In 

 shape they are described as being unlike any elsewhere 

 known, being a cross between the usual spire and steeple 

 form, and the slender-based, and flat, tottering, table- 

 topped sandstone monuments, near the Garden of the 

 Gods, in Colorado. And while lacking the symmetry 

 and beauty of these, surpass both in wild weird fascina- 

 tion. Here the sharp-cornered fragments of rocks of 

 nearly every size, form and formation, and shade of col- 

 oring, by a peculiar volcanic cement attached sideways, 

 endwise, and upon the tops, sides, and apparently un- 

 supported upon each other, represent every form, garb 

 and posture of gigantic human beings, as well as of birds, 

 beasts and reptdes. In fact ne?rly every form, animate 

 or inanimate, real or chimerical ever actually seen or con- 

 jured by the imagination may here be observed. With 



this description and the illustrations we have given on 

 page 187, some idea may be formed of the wild unearthly 

 appearance of these eroded Hoodoos of the Goblin Land. 

 These monuments are from 50 to 300 feet in height, with 

 narrow tortuous passages between them, with sometimes 

 tunnels, where the Big Horn sheep hide in safety ; while 

 the ceaseless but ever changing moans of the wild winds 

 seem to chant fitting requiems to these gnome-like mon- 

 uments of the legendary Indian Gods. 



We have not sufficient space to allow us even to briefly 

 follow Superintendent Norris in his very interesting des- 

 cription of the many wonders of this extraordinary re- 

 gion — the Yellowstone Lake, Geysers, cold, hot and 

 medicinal springs, pulsating Geysers, terrace building 

 springs, fossil forests, natural bridges, gold and silver 

 mines, and many objects of scientific interest. Among 

 the animals still to be found in the Yellowstone Park, 

 mention is made of the bison, or mountain buffalo, which 

 differs considerably from the bison of the plains ; also the 

 moose, elk, white tailed deer, black tailed deer, antelope, 

 big horn sheep, bears, mountain lion or cougar, wolves, 

 foxes, skunks, badgers, rock dog, porcupine, rabbits, rats, 

 mice, moles, squirrels, chipmunks, beavers, otters, etc., etc. 



We note the presence in trout, found in the cold water 

 tributaries, of a " worm " named by Dr. Leidy " Di- 

 bothrium cordiceps." They are described "as long, 

 slender, white worms, found in the intestines and flesh of 

 the countless large and beautiful trout of the Yellowstone 

 Lake, named by Professor Cope, ^abno pletiriticus." 

 They are said to be entirely different to the worms found 

 in European trout. The Superintendent does not appear 

 to have succeeded in tracing the cause of this parasite, 

 but states that they are only met with in fish found in 

 the Yellowstone Lake. Here the trout exist in great 

 numbers in water bubbling with hot gases ; and the 

 angler, without changing his position, or removing the 

 fish from the hook, can rapidly boil them in seething pools. 



This National Park of the United States was visited by 

 over 2000 tourists during the season previous to this re- 

 port, all of whom returned in safety, although much 

 inconvenience was experienced from the condition of the 

 roads. An appropriation is now annually made for the 

 improvement of the Park ; and no one reading this re- 

 port can fail to come to the conclusion that Mr. P. W. 

 Norris is a gentleman highly qualified for the position of 

 Superintendent, and brings an enthusiastic devotion to 

 bear on his arduous duties in developing this " peerless 

 wonder-land of earth." 



Statement showing the mean temperature at Boston, Mass., for each month and year from January, 1871, to 

 December, 1880, inclusive, as recorded at the station of observation of the Signal Service, U. S. Army, at 

 that place. 



[Compiled from the records on file at the office of the Chief Signal Officer, U. S. A., Washington, D. C] 





MEAN TEMPERATURE. 



Year. 



January. 



February. 



March. 



April. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



August. 



September. 



October. 



November. 



December. 



S : 

 > 





27.2 



29.4 



42.8 



46.7 



57-4 



66.2 



71.0 



7 ..8 



59-7 



54-2 



39.8 



384 



49-5 



1872 



27.5 



28.5 



26.4 



46.3 



57.2 



67.6 



74-4 



71.8 



63.8 



52.1 



40.7 



24.1 



48.4 



>873 



26.3 



27.6 



34-' 



44.6 



56.9 



67.2 



72.9 



68.8 



61.7 



53-o 



33-4 



3 2 -9 



48.3 



1874 • 



31.2 



27.9 



35-i 



39.1 



56.1 



65.8 



72.2 



67.7 



63.8 



53-4 



4'-5 



31.9 



48.3 



187S 



20.9 



22.8 



3' -7 



42.2 



57-3 



66.5 



71.7 



69.7 



58.8 



49 3 



34-4 



29.8 



46.3 



1876. 



3°-S 



27S 



32-9 



43- 2 



S3 9 



67.6 



73- 1 



69.5 



58.9 



48.0 



40.8 



22.3 



47-3 



1877 



24.2 



33-6 



35-1 



44-3 



54-9 



66.5 



69.9 



70.7 



63-9 



51-3 



43.8 



36.1 



49-5 



1878 ... 



28.3 



31.0 



39-5 



47.2 



55-3 



64.2 



72.7 



68.1 



62.9 



55-3 



39-9 



29.6 



49-5 



1879 



*4-5 



24-5 



33-8 



42.4 



59-4 



64.2 



69.9 



67.7 



60.8 



56.6 



39.2 



32.6 



48.0 



1880 



35-° 



32.2 



33-. 



45-9 



62.7 



67.7 



71. 1 



68.9 



64.1 



50.8 



37-5 



26.2 



49.6 



War Department, 



Office of Chief Signal Office 

 Washington, D. C, April 12 



„ j 



!, l88l. ) 



