than ten miles, the physical characteristics of the water supply had radically changed.

On the east side of the Red Mountain range the springs were thermal, brackish, and often nauseating, while on the western slope they were pure, cold and refreshing.

A few miles west of Red Mountain Spring, in a dry ravine,

through which the traveler passes to reach Fish Lake Valley, is found Mamie Spring. (Fig.6.) The water is excellent and plentiful. Its situation is rather unique. In the bottom of a dry wash lies

a very large boulder of conglomerate, or more strictly of breccia,

Fig. 2., Mound "Springs.

transported from some distance, from the under side of which the water of the spring gushes into a little pool or basin it has made for itself. From this basin the water, overflowing, traverses for a few yards the gravelly bed of

the wash, when it sinks and is seen no more. The huge boulder that shad

ows this little basin with its overhanging edge is mainly composed of a very hard arenaceous matrix, in which are seen imbedded many rounded pebbles of various sizes, and also large angular fragments of rock. The most remarkable thing about this spring was the fact that it

had only been running about two years, having suddenly sprung into existence, the miners said, since they had been in the vicinity.

Upon the eastern edge of the Amargoza Desert is quite a large area called Ash Meadows; so named from a small species of ash tree growing there. The meadows are covered with good grass and are well watered by numerous warm springs.

The principal spring was about thirty feet in diameter and situated at the foot of a small butte. The water issued from the bottom, through a tufaceous mass of rock.

It was about four or five feet deep and was cooler than the other springs. The stream of water that flowed out was five inches

deep and two feet wide,

and clear as crystal. The sides and bottom of this spring were covered with a white, chalky-looking deposit, that gave a milky tinge to the water when stirred up. A few small fish were seen in this spring. Many of the springs in this vicinity contained quicksand. South-east of Amagoza is Pah-rimp Desert. About the middle of the upper end of this dreary waste of sand and sage bushes are several little oases bountifully watered with exhaustless springs, some of which are very large, and the confluence of their waters forms quite a large creek that flows off towards the south-west, but is soon lost in the

sand. Splendid grass abounds along the banks of this water course. Immediately around the springs a band of southern PahUte Indians is located, and by irrigation succeeds in raising a quantity of corn, squashes and watermelons. Willow trees and wild grapes are indigenous, the latter growing in the greatest abundance.

Mound Springs. (Fig. 7.) By this appellation it is proposed to designate those springs situated upon small mounds rising above the general surface of the country surrounding them. The most prominent mound noticed by the writer was upon the Vegas plains in Southern Nevada; its base was circular and

about twenty-five feet in diameter, it was fifteen feet in height and was covered with "tules" and coarse grass. Several small sulphur springs oozed from its nearly flat top, and provided moisture for the tangled vegetation.

It appeared as if built up by the partial decay of organic matter and the depositions of these numerous springlets. The soil was tremulous and yielding to the tread, and resembled in that particular the sphagnous bogs of Alaska. The fumes of sulphuretted hydrogen were strongly apparent even at some distance from the mound.

A short distance beyond the mound above-mentioned, occurred the Las Vegas Springs (Figs. 8, 9), the largest of which was ap

parently about three feet deep, with white quicksand constantly "boiling up" from the bottom. Quite a large creek issued from it and ran in a south-easterly direction for a mile or more. This spring had been regarded by the Indians and squatters as a rather supernatural one, and among other improbable legends was said to be bottomless. This myth, at least, was exploded when a sixty pound weight tied to a cord was used to sound its depth. This weight sank eighteen feet and three inches through the ever

varying quicksands, and then came to rest. Further on ran the other springs which also poured their waters in the creek flowing from the first one. On the left bank of this creek stood an old adobe enclosure, rectangular in shape, built by the Mormons some years before.

Two or three large cottonwood trees shaded the creek near the quadrangle. Here the bed of the stream was broken into a series of little rapids or falls, none exceeding four feet in height, formed by rocks of calcareous tufa.

At the foot of these miniature waterfalls was a quiet pool, about five feet deep and ten feet in diameter, used in former times by the Mormons as a baptismal font. The land along the banks of the creek had been cultivated, and at this time. were seen the remains of irrigating ditches, which attest the indůstry and enterprise of this strange, and to our minds, deluded people. These fields are now overgrown with mesquite and thistles, the latter attract numberless goldfinches, humming birds and humble bees.

In the springs above enumerated, the reader has a sketch of a few of those in Southern Nevada. The springs of this inhospitable region are so few, that at one time or another, each one becomes, as it were, the polar star of the desert traveler, towards which he turns his face with inflexible determination.

A

THE NIGHT HERONS, AND THEIR EXODUS.

BY REV. SAMUEL LOCKWOOD, PH.D.

MONG our showy birds, although far from graceful in many of its movements, is the night heron (Nyctiardea gardeni Baird). If fine feathers make a fine bird, then assuredly our Nyctiardea deserves consideration. The bird when adult is fully two feet long. It has a deep guttural cry, consisting of one syllable, slowly repeated. This circumstance afforded the old name given it by Nuttall, Ardea discors, as also its popular names of qua-bird, or quawk. It is also known as the black-crowned night heron, the crown of the head, and considerable of the back being a very dark green, almost approaching black. In the nuptial months, the bird flourishes from the hinder part of the head, flowing backwards, like so many natural "accidentals," three very delicate white