1 14 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



trunk to be heavily covered with spines, which is rather un- 

 usual for a specimen of the size visible in the photograph. 

 Charles Isl. : Du Petit Thouars (Dr. Nehoux). The pres- 

 ence of this species on Charles Isl. is doubtful in the extreme. 

 Chatham Isl. : Basso Point, occasional to above 900 ft. ; 

 Sappho Cove, common all over the lower parts; Wreck Bay, 

 occasional to 400 ft. Indefatigable Isl. : Academy Bay, 

 abundant below 200 ft., in many instances forming trees 30 

 or more feet in height. It extends up to 350 ft., but the speci- 

 mens here are very scattered and small in size, 4-6 ft. being 

 about the average height. At this place the species attains its 

 largest size where the conditions near sea level are less xero- 

 phytic than is usually the case, Dr. Baur's statement, that' 

 Opuntias reach their largest size where conditions are most 

 sterile, being incorrect so far as this species at least is con- 

 cerned. The probable reason why this and other species do not 

 attain their maximum size at higher altitudes is the greater 

 amount of other vegetation, which tends to shade them too 

 much, (no. 3009) ; southeast side, abundant on the lower parts, 

 occasional and small at 600 ft. This species occurs most 

 abundantly here in the region betA^een 300 and 450 ft., where it 

 forms a portion of a well-marked belt of Opuntias which ex- 

 tends along the south, southeast, and east sides of the island to 

 within a short distance of that portion of the shore opposite 

 Gordon Rocks, (no. 3011). James Isl.: north side, common 

 all over the lower parts; south side, occasional all over the 

 lower parts to 900 ft. Many of the specimens here have very 

 long slender trunks and but few branches, (no. 3012). Jervis 

 Isl. : abundant on the lower parts, where it is 3-7 ft. in height. 

 It also occurs around the top of the island at 1050 ft., but the 

 specimens here are all low, and it is likely that Dr. Baur, (2), 

 247, refers to these upper specimens when he says that the 

 Opuntias from this island are very low, (no. 3013). 



This species can be recognized by the following characters : 

 stem long, relatively slender, and irregularly branched near the 

 top, which forms an irregularly shaped crown owing to the 

 fact that the branches arise at different elevations and that 

 many of them are inclined to be pendant. Articulations mostly 

 large, the outer ones oblong to oval and covered with fascicles 

 of slender pungent spines. Corolla large, yellow, 6 cm. broad. 



