have a sample of the Rio Grande clay from Nuevo Leon. While the train was checking baggage I ran down to the river and took some river mud. Northern Mexico. Tuesday Aug. 19. Got off at 7 and what a transformation is now before one's eye. We are in the midst of low ragged irregular mountains with basin plains between. The place is that of a semiarid region - few shrubs and thousands tens of thousands of "Yucca agaves" one of the yucca spec. As we got to Monterrosa the basin widens out plant life is somewhat scarcer. Here the same ones are seen but more often from 20 to 100 gray-white forts. All the morning the clouds are thin, scattering the rains and low broad sun bars. The Onto north of Catorce to the W. show stratification dipping to the W. Of this time than the Onto plain through which the Q. R. runs is cut thirt th apex of the dome. At Catorce they is a broad interesting plain some 10 to 15 miles wide. Looks somewhat like hyssing but there are o age bushes.