THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
an\' more than it can account for the beauty of the crv^s- 
tals in the snowflake and the rock, the fire "in the ruby's 
heart, or the splendors of the sunset ? 
There is in all these a transcendant beauty far above 
all thought of mere individual advantage; a beauty all 
unexplained unless we concede it begotten, loved and 
cherished in the great heart of God. 
Climbing through thickets of service berr^-, mountain 
maple, willows, and wild cherry, I was now approaching 
the summit of the ridge. The vegetation here assumed a 
much more vernal appearance. Yellow dog's-tooth 
violets, spring beauties, wood anemones and trilHuras; 
flowers which had long ago passed out of blossom in the 
valleys were here in full bloom. A beautiful wild clematis 
( Clematis rerticillaris) with blossoms three inches across 
was ver3' abundant on the summit of the ridge. From 
this point I began to make my way along the backbone of 
the mountain towards the two high peaks which lay 
about three miles to the southward. As I approached 
these I was surprised to see a glistening expanse ot white 
appearing through the trees. Turning aside into a deep 
gulch on the north slope of the mountain I found a great 
bank of snow. Mountain ash and alder here were begin- 
ning to put out their leaves, and dog's-tooth violets and 
false hellebore were just piercing through the leaf mold 
not a foot from the edge of the snow. 
A short climb now brought me to the summit where, 
among other plants new to me, I found that pleasing Httle 
evergreen shrub of the staff tree family Pachystima myr- 
sinites. The only other species of this genus is the P. 
Canbyi found at a single station in the mountains of 
southwestern Virginia. 
On my way home I found a columbine which I had 
never seen before. It was three feet in height with bright 
yellow petals, deep scarlet sepals, and hooked spurs. I 
suppose it w^as the species described by Watson as 
Aquiligea ffavescens. 
Kooskia, Idaho. 
