JOHNSTOX: FLORA OF MARGARITA ISLAND. 175 



is the most delightful temperature condition imaginable, often cloudy 

 and always breezy. El Valle is comfortable, but the ^dllages on the 

 plains are in the da}i:ime very warm. At night it is comfortable 

 everx-where. 



Catalogue of the Plants of Margarita. 



Dr. Ernst in his visit to Margarita, in 1873, spent the month of May 

 collecting at Juan Griego, Santa Ana, and Asuncion. His collection 

 amounting to 242 different species are the first plants reported from 

 that island but unfortunately they do not seem to be available for 

 reference today. Their location is unknown to me; certainlv they are 

 not accessible in any place in Venezuela. 



The only other collections from Margarita and the only ones readily 

 available for reference today are those made by our parties in 1901 

 and 1903. In 1901, we collected over 300 different species spending 

 most of the time from July 4 to August 22 in El Valle and the plains 

 toward Porlamar, with only occasional trips to Juan Griego, Asuncion, 

 and Punta Moreno. In 1903, from June 28 to September 4, we found 

 the region about El Valle in such a drought that for our collections we 

 had to resort to the mountains for the most of our work. One trip was 

 made to Juan Griego, Tacarigua, and Asuncion, one to Peilar and 

 several to Punta ^Moreno and Punta Mosquito. We also made one 

 excursion to the island of Coche and to Punta Piedras on Maro-arita. 

 In each of these trips, that of 1901 and that of 1903, between 3000 and 

 4000 specimens were secured, all of which have been distributed 

 among the leading herbariums in this country and abroad, the most 

 nearly complete set being at the Gray herbarium of Harvard univer- 

 sity. It is unfortunate that the first collection was distributed in an 

 incomplete and poorly identified condition but it is hoped that the 

 present listing of the species together with the citation of the collection 

 numbers and dates may tend to correct any previous errors. In the 

 main the identifications have been carried on at the Gray herbarium. 

 Mr. O. O. Miller of the party of 1901 assisted in the identifications of 

 the collection of that year. The rest of the work, in which I have 

 been generously assisted by the staff of the Gray herbarium, has 

 devolved upon me. ]Mr. Oakes Ames identified part of the Orchi- 

 daceae; Dr. Carl Mez, part of the Bromeliaceae; Dr. Casimir de 

 Candolle, the Piperaceae; Professor Radlkofer, one of the Sapin- 



