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  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  at 
  neap-tides 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  October 
  or 
  November. 
  It 
  is 
  esteemed 
  

   by 
  the 
  natives 
  a 
  great 
  delicacy; 
  hence 
  "Falolo" 
  days 
  are 
  days 
  

   of 
  festivity, 
  and 
  thousands 
  repair 
  to 
  the 
  channels 
  to 
  gather 
  it; 
  

   it 
  is 
  of 
  all 
  colors, 
  and 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  its 
  

   occurrence 
  presents 
  the 
  most 
  gorgeous 
  hues. 
  Last 
  year 
  the 
  

   " 
  Palolo" 
  days 
  were 
  the 
  23d 
  days 
  of 
  October 
  and 
  November. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Stearns 
  remarked 
  that 
  the 
  specimens 
  were 
  too 
  imperfect 
  to 
  

   determine 
  their 
  true 
  relations 
  ; 
  the 
  fragments 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  portions 
  

   of 
  marine 
  worms 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  Nereidce, 
  and 
  which 
  resemble 
  the 
  

   terrestrial 
  myy'iapods, 
  of 
  which 
  the 
  centipede 
  was 
  a 
  common 
  illus- 
  

   tration. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Stearns, 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  specimen 
  of 
  resin 
  (amber 
  ?) 
  from 
  

   the 
  Caroline 
  Islands, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  Academy 
  by 
  

   Mr. 
  Frink, 
  said 
  that 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  Amber 
  had 
  caused 
  a 
  great 
  deal 
  

   of 
  discussion 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  fossilized 
  resin 
  of 
  species 
  of 
  

   coniferous 
  trees, 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  pines 
  ; 
  it 
  must 
  not 
  be 
  confounded 
  

   with 
  ambar 
  or 
  ambra, 
  {Ambarum 
  griseum) 
  or 
  ambergris, 
  as 
  the 
  

   latter 
  was 
  of 
  animal 
  origin, 
  being 
  the 
  product 
  of 
  the 
  sperm 
  whale, 
  

   and 
  found 
  in 
  its 
  intestines 
  ; 
  both 
  a-m-b-e-r 
  and 
  a-m-h-a-r 
  are 
  some- 
  

   times 
  found 
  floating 
  in 
  the 
  sea 
  ; 
  the 
  former 
  on 
  the 
  coast 
  of 
  Sam- 
  

   land, 
  Prussia, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Ocean. 
  

  

  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  High 
  Sierra 
  south 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whitney. 
  

  

  BY 
  W. 
  A. 
  GOODYEAR. 
  

  

  • 
  The 
  following 
  observations 
  relating 
  to 
  the 
  region 
  south 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whitney, 
  

   and 
  traversed 
  by 
  the 
  Hockett 
  Trail, 
  between 
  tlie 
  Kern 
  River 
  and 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   foot 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada, 
  were 
  made 
  during 
  my 
  trip 
  with 
  Mr. 
  Beishaw 
  into 
  

   the 
  mountains 
  last 
  July, 
  when 
  we 
  climbed 
  the 
  supposed 
  Mount 
  Whitney, 
  and 
  

   discovered 
  the 
  mistake 
  respecting 
  it. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  that 
  at 
  about 
  the 
  head 
  waters 
  of 
  King's 
  River, 
  the 
  summit 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Nevada 
  forks 
  into 
  two 
  great 
  ridges 
  of 
  nearly 
  equal 
  height 
  and 
  

   grandeur, 
  which 
  then 
  extend 
  far 
  south-east 
  toward 
  Walker's 
  Pass, 
  though 
  grad- 
  

   ually 
  diminishing 
  in 
  altitude 
  after 
  passing 
  the 
  summits 
  of 
  Mount 
  Whitney 
  and 
  

   Kaweah 
  Peak. 
  

  

  For 
  a 
  long 
  distance 
  the 
  crests 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  ridges 
  vary 
  from 
  ten 
  to 
  fifteen 
  

   miles 
  apart, 
  aud 
  are 
  separated 
  from 
  each 
  other 
  by 
  the 
  tremendous 
  canon 
  of 
  

   the 
  Kern 
  River, 
  which 
  lies 
  between. 
  

  

  The 
  culminating 
  points 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  ridge 
  are 
  the 
  Kearsarge 
  Mountain, 
  

   Mount 
  Tyudall, 
  Mount 
  Williamson, 
  Mount 
  Whitney, 
  the 
  peak 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  

  

  