255 
taking the train for Topolobampo, which is the seaport for San 
Blas. Returning to San Blas we went in the other direction to 
Fuerte, which was then the eastern end of the Pacific branch of 
the Kansas City and Orient Railroad. At San Blas we were the 
guest of E. A. H. Tays, a progressive mining engineer, who is 
alive to the development of western Mexico. He has since sent 
us some interesting plants from the mountains east of San Blas. 
We then proceeded to Mazatlan, the principal seaport of Sina- 
loa and a most charming place to visit. From here we made trips 
to the mangrove swamps, to the sandy sea beaches, and to hills 
adjoining the sea and those east of the city. Here we found a 
varied and interesting flora. The cactus ae while not so 
overshadowing as at other places along the coast, was extremely 
interesting. Here we found an eee Cephalocereus, Ma- 
millaria mazatlanensis and Cereus vagans only known from these 
hills near the ocean, Rathbunia kerbert growing as a clumsy vine, 
several strange species of Opuntia, and other like plants. 
We also made excursions to Presidio or El Union, Rosario, 
Palmar and Acaponeta to the south, and Guadalupe to the north. 
From all these places an abundance of material was collected. 
At Acaponeta and Palmar are large forests of the beautiful palm 
Inodes rosei, a species well worthy of cultivation as an ornamental. 
This tree is of great economic value to the natives, who use the 
leaves to thatch their rude huts, and for hats, mats, and various 
other uses. Growing along with this palm I found a second 
species which seems to be undescribed. 
n retraced our steps northward to Culiacan, now the 
center of a great irrigating enterprise. On the dry hills were 
many strange plants, the most striking and boven of which 
proved to be a new genus, Erioxylum, a near relative of the 
cotton plant. It was common along the railroad all the way 
from the hills north of Mazatlan nearly to Culiacan, but had an 
ae ee of dropping out of the flora where stops were 
made. d hoped to collect it at Guadalupe but could not 
find it near Ae town and only found it at Culiacan after an 
exhaustive tramp southward, just as we were planning to retrace 
our footsteps to that place. 
