Cruising Along the Channel Islands 337 



gardens in the sea, with a most interesting flora. Pro- 

 fessor T. F. Brandegee, of the California Academy of 

 Sciences, says : " It has been suggested that these islands 

 are the remnants of a western Atlantis. The botanical 

 arguments in favour of the theory are drawn principally 

 from the flora of the island of Santa Cruz, and consist 

 mainly of new species." The list of plants, according to 

 this authority, includes about five hundred and twelve 

 species, twenty-six of which have not been found on the 

 mainland, and only twelve of the latter being known on 

 the islands of Lower California. 



Among the interesting plants to be seen here are 

 Catalina dogwoods, five-leaved oaks, the rare Mac- 

 Donald's oak, and a yellow Heteromeles. At Christmas 

 time this island is ablaze with colour, the beautiful red 

 berries of the holly, or Heteromeles, being seen every- 

 where. Over the slopes, with Adenostoma in vivid 

 green, is the Catalina apple, Crossosoma californicum ; 

 not an apple at all, but a bush about fifteen feet high, 

 which looks very much like it. 



Here blooms the Malva rosa, the wild lilac, while 

 the glossy and delicate green of the wild cherry flashes 

 in many cartons, a contrast against the deeper greens of 

 ironwood. The silver tree, Eriogonum, is seen along 

 the slopes, while later a fringe of radiant blossoms in 

 clusters depends along the edges of lofty cliffs, telling of 

 zephtosyne. 



The island and I take it as a type, as it is the only 

 one available to the public by daily boats seems filled 



