744 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



— north of Miraflores, which, as we know, possesses 

 the greatest rainfall of any place on the lowlands of Baja 

 California, or in the vicinity of vSantiago, the rainfall sud- 

 denly dwindles down to five or six inches. While thus 

 the pasture is most luxuriant at Miraflores, it is most scant 

 in the vicinity of Santiago. At Agua Caliente the greater 

 vegetation is due to the fact that it is situated higher up 

 in the mountains than Santiago. 



As to the actual rainfall in the mountains nothing, of 

 course, is known with certainty, but it is safe to assume 

 that from El Taste to Sierra de La Laguna it is not less 

 than 20 inches, while in the vicinity of Santa Genoveva it 

 probably reaches 25 inches or more. 



Towards the south the rainfall gradually becomes less, 

 and after leaving the region of El Chinche and San 

 Nicholas and San Felipe, it is decidedly scant, and along 

 the coast at Cape San Lucas, and from there on to La 

 Palmilla it is probably not over five inches yearly. In 

 the accompanying map I have endeavored to show the 

 distribution of rainfall in the Cape Region. 



While in the northern part of Baja California the rain- 

 fall is precipitated during the cold season, or in the winter 

 months, it falls in the Cape Region during the warm season 

 or summer months, or at a time when it can be immediately 

 utilized by the then growing vegetation. In the north the 

 winter rainfall is mostly lost to vegetation, as it is only the 

 part that is stored up as snow and moisture in the soil 

 until spring that can be utilized for vegetation in general, 

 the exception, of course, being some grasses and herbs 

 which sprout as soon as the rain commences, though they 

 generally flower later in the spring. 



In the Cape Region this is different. The very first 

 shower causes a marvelous change in the country. The 

 hills and slopes and much of the valley or mesa lands are 



