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taken from observations made during the past year's field-work: Beginning at Big Springs, in Howard county, north to Gail, in the center of Borden county; thence north to Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos, near where the west line of Garza county crosses the river; thence north-west to Salt Fork of the Brazos, near the south line of Crosby county; thence northeast and north, passing fifteen miles west of Matador, passing Connellee's peak, and crossing Pease river to the Quitique ranch. At ten miles further north the foot of the Plains turns almost abruptly west, caused by the erosion of the Palo Duro canyon. The high plateau can be seen to the northwest at about twenty miles distance; thence almost directly north, crossing the Fort Worth and Denver City Railroad at Goodnight, and thence north to a few miles south of the Canadian river; thence turning westward parallel with the Canadian river and at a distance of from ten to twenty miles from it, trending southward to the west line of Texas, in Oldham county; thence a little south of west to a point south of Tucumcari mountain, in New Mexico; thence westward about twenty miles to the northwest corner of the plains; thence a little east of south, parallel with the Pecos river, and at a distance of twenty-five to thirty miles east of it, to the Horsehead crossing, at the southeast corner of Ward county.

Within these limits is embraced the territory of the Staked Plains, except that of the southern extension,.which can hardly be determined, from the fact that the surface of the country descends so gradually in that direction.

On the map, Plate No. IV in this report, the boundary of the Staked Plains is indicated, but it is intended only to give a general idea of it. The exact lines could not be drawn without an accurate topographical survey, which we did not attempt to make.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The Staked Plains is one immense plateau with a gentle inclination from northwest to southeast. It is so level apparently as to produce the peculiar appearance of being up-hill in every direction, and its inclination is only determinable by instrumental measurements. The following altitudes show the gradual slope:

Besides the canyons which traverse the Plains in several directions,