756 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



in much larger numbers. Through these various and 

 continuous immigrations from surrounding countries, it 

 might be inferred that the fauna and flora of the Cape 

 Region must contain a mixture of temperate and tropical 

 forms. This is also the case. It is yet too early in our rather 

 imperfect knowledge of the entire number of species in- 

 habiting the Cape Region and surrounding countries, to 

 summarize too liberally, but through the collections 

 acquired by this Academy we now know that a large 

 percentage are temperate forms, a small percentage trop- 

 ical, while a great number of species are endemic, that 

 is, have so modified themselves from their ancestors in 

 the Cape Region, that they are classified as new species. 

 As not all of our collections have been worked up, a 

 fur, her discussion of this subject must be left for a future 

 time. I will here state that while we have collected 

 thousands of different species in this our new field, it is 

 evident that as many more yet exist there, these being 

 scarce forms, which probably are more dependent on the 

 peculiarities of the seasons and localities for their exist- 

 tence and numbers. Believing that the Cape Region of 

 Baja California is one of the most interesting isolated 

 points in the world as regards its fauna and flora, it is my 

 intention to treat of this subject — of the faunal relations 

 of this region — more exhaustively at a future time. 



NATIVE WILD FRUITS AND ECONOMIC PLANTS. 



A few words may be said about the native wild fruits 

 of the Cape Region. These fruits are not many, but 

 several of them are valuable, one or two are very fine. 

 The head of the list must be given to the red " pitahaya 

 agria " {Cei'eus Thurberi), or red-fruited cactus. It is 

 one of the very finest fruits I know. In shape it is 

 round and of the size of an orange, in color it is red; 

 its pulp is red with many very small black seeds and is 



