40 REMARKS AND OPINIONS. 



forests appear here and there on the ridge of the 

 mountains, between the Punta de los Reyes ancj 

 the harbour of San Francisco. The prickly-leafed 

 oak, Qiierciis agrifoliay is the most common and 

 largest tree. With crooked boughs and entangled 

 branches, it lies, like the other bushes, bent to- 

 wards the land ; and the flattened tops, swept 

 by the sea-wind, seem to have been clipped by the 

 gardener's shears. The Flora of this country is 

 poor, and is not adorned by one of those species 

 of plants which are produced by a warmer sun. 

 It however offers much novelty to the botanist. 

 Well-known North American species* are found 

 mixed with others belonging to the country t ; 

 and most of the kinds are yet undescribed. Only 

 Archibald, Menzies, and Langsdorff, have made 

 collections here ; and the fruits of their industry 

 are not yet made known to the world. The 

 season was not very favourable for us. We, how- 

 ever, gathered the seeds of several plants, and have 

 reason to hope that we shall be able to enrich our 

 gardens with them. 



These deserts serve for the retreat of numerous 

 animals, of which many are probably not yet de- 



* Ceanotus, Mimulus, Oenothera, Solidago, Aster Rhamnus, 

 Salix, Aesculus ? &c. Species of wild grapes, which we did not 

 see ourselves, are said to be very abundant in the interior, and 

 to produce fruit of an agreeable taste. 



t Abronia, Eschscholzia, Cham., and others which are to be 

 now described. 



