Stewart — Botanical Conditions , on the (^ohipogos Ts^nnf]^, 329 



bushes, Avhich also occur still higher up ou this side of the island. 

 This species is infested with Phoradendron Henslovii as are 

 some other forms in this region and above. The vegetation is 

 further added to, between 300 and 400 ft. elevation, by the ap- 

 pearance of small trees of Erythrina velutina, and thickets of 

 Zanthoxylum bushes, the last of which apparently does not at- 

 tain tree size on this side of the island. Opuntia galapageia oc- 

 curs in this region and continues to above 700 ft. elevation. 



The plateau, around 700 ft. elevation and above, is covered 

 with much the same sort of vegetation as the lower country, ex- 

 cept that it is thicker in places, and some of the species attain a 

 larger size. No ferns or other distinctly mesophytic plants were 

 found if occasional small trees of Pisonia floribunda be expected. 

 The small craters on the plateau are covered with bushes, and 

 trees of Cereus sclerocarpus and Opuntia galapageia all of which 

 have a considerable amount of fruticose lichen on them. A good 

 view of the surrounding countiy can be had from the tops of these 

 craters. The country to the south and east was barren in the ex- 

 treme and appeared to be covered with much the same sort of 

 vegetation which occurs in the region explored on the north side 

 of the island. The country to the west appeared almost as iln- 

 inviting, for possibly 700 ft. higher, and the vegetation all had 

 the distinctly gray color characteristic of the dry regions of these 

 islands. It was noticed, while we were sailing along the north 

 shore, that similar conditions to the above are present nearly to 

 the top of the mountain on this side, 



James Bay. 



The conditions at James Bay, at the Avest end of the island, 

 were much more inviting than they were on the northeast side. 

 A sand beach extends along the east side of the bay and affords 

 a good landing place for boats the most of the time. The north 

 side of the bay is bordered by cliffs, which rise in height towards 

 the northwest and terminate in a tall perpendicular cliff about 

 opposite Albany Island, which is situated a short distance off 

 shore. The coast is rocky for some distance south of the bay, 

 and is made of low up cliffs of recent lava. Back of the sand 

 beach, just mentioned, there is a stretch of flat sandy country, in 

 which there is a small salt water lake. The flat country extends 

 to the base of the mountain which rises quite abruptly to an ele- 

 vation of about 1,400 ft., beyond which the slope is more gradual, 



