V 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



9 



eyes would also be hidden and of no use to 

 it, these animals are blind. 



We have all noticed, in summer, curious, 

 sandy, saucer-shaped objects, lying on the 

 shore, between tides. The}' have been ob- 

 jects ^ much speculation, and have been 

 considered by naturalists as zoophites, and 

 have been given a dozen or more erroneous 

 names. They are now known to be the 

 nidus or nest, which is made by the natica 

 for the protection of its eggs. This nidus 

 is composed of small grains of sand, glued 

 together and filled with little cells ; each 

 cell contains an egg, having a 3'ellow nu- 

 cleus, which is the embr^'o shell ; while wet, 

 these cases are elastic, but when dry are 

 very friable, and fall to pieces on touching 

 them. The two largest species of this fam- 

 ily inhabit the United States, one in New 

 England and the other in Oregon. Descrip- 

 tions of the species inhabiting Rhode Island 

 will be given in the next paper. 

 {To he continvM.) 



The Fern Flora of Southern California. 



[From advance sheets of Santa Barbara As It Is, now 

 in process of publication by the Independent Pub- 

 lishing Co., Santa Barbara, Cal.] 



BY LORENZO G. YATES. 



The remarks on the peculiarities of the 

 climate of this county as regard the mollus- 

 can fauna, will apply also to the flora of 

 this region so far as the Felices or Ferns 

 are concerned. While some of our species 

 are found in the northern part of the state, 

 and are not found south of us, others begin 

 here and extend south, Santa Barbara be- 

 ing the southern limit of species found in 

 northern California and Oregon, and the 

 northern boundary of others found south, 

 into Arizona and Mexico ; others again are 

 peculiar to this and the counties immediately 

 adjacent, and one species at least, is pe- 

 culiar to Santa Barbara County on the 

 Pacific coast, and found elsewhere only in 

 Florida and Texas. We find the following 

 species in this county : Tlie Adiantums, or 

 " Maiden-hair Ferns," are remarkably well 

 represented, all the species known in the 

 United States, with perhaps one exception, 

 being found here. 



Adiantum pedatum, in the northern por- 



tion of the county. A. capillus veneris, A. 

 emarginatum, in the wooded caiions in the 

 neighborhood of living water ; hanging in 

 immense masses from the boulders under 

 the spray of falling water. 



Aspidium patens, a remarkably fine and 

 pretty fern ; the only localities where it is 

 found in the United States being Bartlett 

 Caiion in this county, and in Florida and 

 western Texas. 



Aspidium rigidum, variety argutum, found 

 throughout the country in abundance, 



Cheilanthes Californica, commonly called 

 lace fern, a very delicate and prettj' species, 

 found only in the Coast Range of California, 

 and much sought after by collectors. 



Cheilanthes Cooperse, first discovered in 

 Santa Barbara County and named for Mrs. 

 Ellwood Cooper, a lady who takes great in- 

 terest in the collection of ferns. 



Gymnogramme triangularis, the golden 

 back or gold fern, and under certain condi- 

 tions of growth taking the form of the so- 

 called silver fern, common ever3'where. 



Pellsea andromediiefolia, P. ornithopus 

 and brachyptera ; all the pellteas improve 

 under cultivation. 



Peteris aquilina, var. lanuginosus, brake 

 fern, common. 



Woodwardia radicans, variet}' Americana, 

 is found growing in and near mountain 

 streams. Magnificent specimens of this 

 fern are used for decoration. 



A Daring Red-shouluered Hawk. — A 

 well-known taxidermist sends us the fol- 

 lowing, which was related to him b}' the 

 hero of the adventure : Having been out to 

 his pasture to salt his cattle, he was return- 

 ing when he ran across a Partridge which 

 he killed with a stone. Securing his game 

 he continued his homeward walk, and while 

 passing through a small piece of pine woods 

 a Hawk swooped down and attempted to 

 take the dead bird from him. In his disen- 

 gaged hand he carried a bull-ring, and, re- 

 covering from his surprise, brought it to 

 bear upon the Hawk's head, striking a blow 

 which killed it at once. 



This seems rather a strange story, but 

 the taxidermist affirms that the man ap- 

 peared at his store with the Partridge, bull- 

 ring, and Hawk in his hands, the latter look- 

 ing as though killed with such an instru- 

 ment. 



