FLORA OF THE SANTA BARBARA ISLANDS. 219 



Academy of Sciences, Vol. 2, No. 7, brought to notice the 

 occurrence on the island of Santa Cruz of several trees, 

 either peculiar to the Californian insular flora or endemic 

 upon the island itself, and to add representatives of these 

 trees to the Jesup Wood Collection of New York, Prof. 

 C. S. Sargent asked me to go to the island and endeavor to 

 obtain them. 



This opportunity to study the insular flora was gladly em- 

 braced, and six weeks were spent in making a botanical col- 

 lection from all parts of the island; then to add to my knowl- 

 edge obtained from Santa Cruz and to enjoy the pleasure of 

 exploring an island almost wholly unknown botanically, a 

 visit was made to the adjoining island of Santa Rosa. At 

 difi"erent times, collections of plants with especial reference 

 to the insalar floras were made in the Santa Inez Mountains 

 representing the vegetation of the ocean slope of this coast 

 range within a dozen miles or more of Santa Barbara. 



The general trend of the mainland coast from Santa Bar- 

 bara to Point Conception is westerly, and about twenty-five 

 miles to the south and nearly parallel to it, lie the islands 

 of Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel. Santa Cruz, 

 the largest in area and most easterly, is long and narrow in 

 shape, rugged and mountainous in profile, with its surface 

 much broken by deep, rocky canons. 



Santa Rosa, nearly as large as Santa Cruz, occupies a 

 central position, distant from the other two islands about 

 ten miles; is more nearly circular, or perhaps, rectangular 

 in outline, having a width of about twelve miles; the central 

 hills or peaks reach an altitude of about 1200 feet, not more 

 than half that of the Santa Cruz mountains; its surface 

 slopes from the highest points to the shore, and is somewhat 

 broken by canons and gulches. 



San Miguel, the most westerly, is a small island of low 

 elevation. 



The situation and topography of the islands in connection 

 with the prevailing winds, determine the variety of their 



