66 ALLAN HANCOCK PACIFIC EXPEDITIONS VOL. 1 



in almost every direction. The West Island is the largest and highest 

 (661 feet), the East Island is the second, and the Middle Island is a 

 small, low, flat island. The passage between the East and Middle islands 

 is safe for navigation, but the other passage is not. 



A spur of the continental shelf extends northward from the area west 

 of Cape San Agustin, Cedros Island, to surround the San Benito, but 

 there is a tongue of deeper water coming in from the north that sepa- 

 rates these islands from the northern portion of Cedros Island. 



At present the San Benito Islands serve as the home of many sea 

 lions and elephant seals. At one time, the elephant seals were slaughtered 

 so extensively that, as far as the San Benito were concerned, they seemed 

 to be exterminated, but a few remained on Guadalupe Island ; and, when 

 they were totally protected for some time, the numbers materially in- 

 creased, and now they are back on San Benito Islands again in goodly 

 numbers. 



Some collecting has been done on all the islands, and considerable 

 dredging to the south of them. 



Lying 6 miles to the northward of East San Benito Island, Ranger 

 Bank extends on northward for 11 miles, with a breadth of 1% to 3% 

 miles. It is at quite a uniform depth of 67 to 75 fathoms, except at the 

 margins where the depth is slightly greater, and is surrounded by water 

 of much greater depth. The bottom consists of rock in place, loose rock, 

 pebbles, and shell, with an abundance of a tall, much-branching coral. 

 Dredging here has given very satisfactory results. 



Natividad Island lies 3% miles west of Cape San Eugenio, separated 

 from it by Dewey Channel. It lies in a northwest-southeast direction, 

 3% miles long, % to 1% miles wide. It is barren and hilly and is sur- 

 rounded by reefs, rocks, and kelp patches that extend into Dewey Chan- 

 nel, but there is a safe passage through, near the mainland shore. 



Dredging has been done in Dewey Channel and in various directions 

 from Natividad Island, in depths of 20-65 fathoms. 



The whole area west and south of Cedros Island, from Ranger Bank, 

 past the San Benito Islands, to and around Natividad Island, on the 

 continental shelf, has been explored to some extent, with very satisfactory 

 results. Much of the bottom is shell, coral, nullipores, and sponges, on a 

 rocky or sandy base, and the fauna is rich in practically all groups of ma- 

 rine invertebrates. It is of special interest because this area appears to be 

 the northern portion of a zone that extends southward to Santa Maria 

 Bay, or Magdalena Bay, where there is much distributional overlapping 

 between the Panamic and Californian faunas. 



