Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-09-14

THE REsEARCHEs or THE EMINENT SCIENTISTS
PROFESSOR LEIDY on THE RHIZoPoDs.
Correspondence oithe Philadel pha Press.

| PROFESSOR LEIDY on THE RHIZoPoDS.
Correspondence oithe Philadelphia Press.
WASHINGTON, d. c., sept. Private let
tiers received ut the office OF the Hayden Gee
| logical Survey present some interesting par
ticulars Of the researches of the emIneil
| English and American scientists who are aC
companying DIR. Hayden in the Rocky Noun
tains The most distinguished OF the part,
are Sir Joseph ID. Hooker, president and iii
rector of the ROYAL botanical Gardens II
Kew, near London 4; Lieutenant Genera
Strachy, of the Royal Engineers. India DIR
|, LambOrn, of Philadelphia Professor Leidy
of the University of Pennsylvania. and Pro
fessor Asa Gray of Harvard. 1t should b.
stated i'll this connection that these gentle
men are making these researches at their Owl
expense. and simply accompany the Hayder
survey for the excellent facilities which i
affords them into the depths of the isolated
regions of the Rocky Mountains. Afte
leaving 81. Louis. where the party spent tw,
days with Captain Eads in viewing the mag
niticent bridge across the Mississippi at tina
point, designed by Captain Eads, they pro
ceedtd thence 10 Kansas. where they FOLLOWED
the valley of the Arkansas over the Atchlson
Topeka and Santa fe road. They spoke IL
the highest terms OF the great fertility of III,
country Thence they proceeded to For
Garland, ascended the Sierra Blanca, inves
tigating the Alpine flora thence back tC
Denver. and from that point across the noun
tains to the Sierra Nevadas, investigating tn,
extensive Alpine flora and tree vegetation
and the relations and influences OF the eli
matte conditions of the two sides Of the
mountains. The party will return in octo.
ber Sir Joseph Hooker, whose botanical
researches embrace the greater part OF Eu.
rope, the Indies, from the Bay OF Bengal
across the iIimalayas To Thibet, the Antnrc-
tie regions, and southern part of South
America, New Zealand. Australia, South
Africa, Morocco, and Asia Minor, gives III
interesting summary of his researches into
the flora of the Rocky Mountains. He says
In no part OF the temperate globe can II more
varied and instructive botanical journey be
performed than one that follows the great
line of railway from the eastern to the west
ern seaboard. In none will sharper contrasts
in vegetation be experienced, and in none
are these features marked by such variety
and beauty, especially the trees. both ever
green and deciduous. As III other countries
presenting marked contrasts III vegetation,
so in the United States flora. the changes are
accompanied by. and are more or les de-
pendent upon, alienation III geographical
features and climate. Commencing on the
east, there is first the broad belt OF forest
vegetation extending to the MISSISSIPPI and
to the west OF 1t, and following the lne.oi
its atiluentS marked by the prevalence of
oaks ashes, walnut. and hickories. elms,
willows, buckeyes, and, above all, the plane
tree. This region is again subdiyided into
two by the Appalachian chain. which both
forms a barrier to yarions kinds of trees and
shrubs characteristic of countries east and
west of 1t, and has furnished various kinds
of oak, pine. rhododendron, etc, peculiar to
Itself. West of the Mississippi almost the
whole of this tree vegetation disappears. not
suddenly. but one 10y one. the niiuents of
that stream are followed, the willows and
poplars almost alone stretching across the
praIries to the base of the Rocky Mountains.
The forest region is,as every American knows,
succeeded to the westward by IL second belt
of vegetation, viz. the treeless prairie, with
its grassy downs variegated here and there
with yellow suntlowers and other plants of
that tribe, including the compass plant, when
oaks are seen only i'll thin clumps on low
elevations, and willows and pcplars 10y the
watercourses. To this again succeeds the
third belt, the pnteau OF the Rocky Noun
tains. which is simply more elevated tract
of the prairie raised some six OF seven thou
sand feet above the sea, and intersected in
various directions 10y Rocky Mountain ridges
rising, on an average, about one 10 two thou
sand feet high, and crowned by numerous
peaks, which attain II total elevation of twelve
to fourteen thousand feet. With the Rocky
Mountains II more complete and sudden
change III the flora lis met with than i'll any
to the east of them. The luXurmnt
forests of Western America have here totally
and except along the river banks
hardly any arboreOus vegetation is seen until
an elevation of five to SIX thousand feet Is
reached. Below that elevation the slopes,
whether rocky or uiiiuluting, and the great
interior pralries here called parks, ure,
except along the waterrourscs, US treeless Ms
the prairies to the east of them. Above that
elevation an evergreen forest vegetation COM
mences, of more kinds of pines than are to
be found IN any part of the world except
America, often mingled with, or succeeded
by, IA luxuriant growth of aspen, that gives
A green hue to the flanks of the mountains.
This forest belt extends upwards to L. 600
leet, and even higher. Professor Leidv, who
has been engaged in nn interesting inyestiga-
ton of the rhlzopods, also gives an interest
ing description OF this lowest and simplest
form of animal life The rhi2opods are the
lowest and simplest forms of animals, mostly
AMI recurring hlgl power Ot the MI
rroscope to distinguish their structure.
While most of them construct shells OF great
beauty and variety, their soft pnrt consists of
A ielly-hke substance. This the animal has
the power of extending in threads or finger
like processes which are used as organs of
and prehension. often branching
From, the arp,nrnnce of their t,mnorury or
rnns. resembling roots. the class Of animals
has received It's name Of rhiznuodu m,nu-
nr literally root footed. In conversation
pf the smallne,s of these creatures they