CHAPTER XVI 



THE ANIMALS OF THE ISLANDS 



IN sailing down the Santa Barbara Channel we 

 notice that the long axis of all the islands runs 

 parallel to the adjacent counties of Santa Bar- 

 bara and San Buenaventura, or about northwest and 

 southeast; but when the Santa Catalina Channel is 

 entered, the lower islands in a general way have their 

 long axes parallel to Los Angeles and other counties. 

 The north islands are sierras out at sea, parallel with 

 the Santa Ynez Range, while the islands one hundred 

 miles or so to the south turn in an opposite direction. 

 The tooth of an ancient elephant (Elephas americanus) 

 was picked up some years ago at Santa Rosa. Whether 

 it was carried over by some Indian in exchange for 

 mainland articles it is impossible to tell. Geologists 

 believe it belongs there, as other bones have been 

 found, and that this animal once roamed the region 

 when it may have been connected with the shore. 

 The fauna of the islands is more interesting than 

 extensive. An exhaustive survey has never been com- 

 pleted, though several attempts have been made to 

 record the land animals. 



On San Clemente there are sea-lions and seals, and 

 not many years ago the sea elephant of large size 

 lived here. In many of the caves dogs were buried 

 as mummies, but these were brought over by the 

 Indians, who got them from the Spaniards and Mexi- 



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