An inadequate discourse on the animals of Texas by quoting from James R. Steele of the United States Signal Service, who was stationed at Brownsville in early days. In fine poetic excess he has described the Rio Grande region as follows:

"The devil put thorns on all of the trees,
And mixed up the sand with millions of fleas;
And scattered tarantulas along all the roads.
He put thorns on the cactus and horns on the toads,
He lengthened the horns of the Texas steers,
And put an addition to the jack rabbit's ears;
He put a little devil in the broncho steed,
And poisoned the feet of the centipede.
The rattlesnake bites you, the scorpion stings,
The mosquito delights you with buzzing its wings,
The sand burrs prevail and so do the ants,
And those who sit down need half-soles on their pants.
The red pepper grows on the banks of the brook,
The Mexicans use it in all that they cook;
Just dine with one and then you will shout,
I've hell on the inside as well as the out "