AROUND SANTA ROSA 291 



Santa Rosa and all these islands, bathed by many and 

 varied conditions, and in the "Mikado's Highway," 

 the Kuro Shiwo, or Black Current of Japan. 



In among the rocks are giant starfishes a foot across, 

 hermit crabs, giant spider crabs, and smaller ones that 

 live in the kelp and mimic it so marvellously that you 

 may pass them by. This is the kelp crab which has a 

 red cousin, a half land and half water relative, which 

 occupies every crevice, nook, and comer. The sea 

 hare (Aplysia), that in Florida is as large as one's 

 hand, here weighs ten pounds, ejecting its cloud of 

 purple ink when rudely touched. Sum up all the 

 marine forms you know in the Atlantic and Mediter- 

 ranean and nearly double them, and you will have 

 the marvellous list of animals of the sea found in these 

 blue waters that ebb and flow about the Channel 

 Islands. 



The shallow channels between San Miguel, Santa 

 Cruz, and Anacapa are favorite haunts of whales. 

 The Pacific sulphur-bottom {Sibbaldius sulfur eus), the 

 Pacific humpback {Megaptera versabilis), the fin- 

 back {Balccnoptera velijerra), and the California gray 

 {Rhacianestes glaucus) have all been seen here, besides 

 the two killers noted in the Santa Catalina Channel, the 

 dolphin (Delphinus), the cow-fish {Tursiops), and the 

 porpoise. It is believed that two species of sea-lion 

 are found at Santa Rosa besides the harbor seal, the 

 former Zalophus Californianus, and Steller's sea-lion 

 {Eumetopias stelleri). 



The wealth of animal life around these islands is 

 beyond computation. Three turtles of large size are 

 often seen — the great ribbed leather turtle, the Pacific 

 green, and the loggerhead. The leather turtle is an 



