VOL. II.] Plants of Baja California. 145 
The very light reports made by the guns used by these bird en- 
emies, suggests that white powder may be in use by them; it cer- 
tainly has the merit of little smoke and light report, two cestiicrs 
considerations for semi-illegal gunners. 
The principal collecting grounds are the suburbs of San Fran- 
cisco, along the line of the railroad into San Mateo County, and in 
the vicinity of Berkeley, Alameda County. One party informed 
me that many of the birds were taken by netting. 
The tendency of this phase of bird destruction is to steadily in- 
crease in severity, and it has long since arrived at that stage of im- 
portance which should bring it to the notice of the authorities inter- 
ested in bird protection. 
There has already been some talk upon the subject of introducing 
European song birds into California, and some day it may be de- 
sirable to do so, but the first step should be protection to those we 
now have, and this protection may be begun by legislating in favor 
of the persecuted ‘‘reed birds,’’ and the extermination, if possible, 
of the English sparrow. 
FIELD NOTES ON THE PLANTS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA. 
BY T. S. BRANDEGEE. | 
LYROCARPA XANTI growsa much larger plant in the south, than at 
its northern limit about San Gregorio. This increase in size, going 
southward is common and was especially observable in such species as 
_ Aplopappus spinulosus, Aster spinosus, Bebbia juncea, etc. In other 
species, however, the reverse obtains, the species depauperating as _ 
they go southward, as in the case of Atamisguea emarginata, Schep- 
fia Californica and Maytenus phyllanthoides. 
_ The apple tree as it grows about San José del Cabo affords a fine 
example of a different habitat upon a species. At first I failed to 
recognize a familiar friend, its habit being so very unlike that to 
which I was accustomed. It grew about ten feet in height, the 
small and slender branches erect and closely surrounding the stem, 
giving it somewhat the appearance of a compressed Lombardy pop- 
lar. I was told that the fruit was always worthless. 
THYSANOCARPUS ERECTUS, Watson.—This name should replace 
in part J. /acinatus, Pl. Baja Cal. 128. This species was orig- 
