EXPLORATIONS IN CAPE REGION. 759 



vegetation begins at looo feet and extends to 6000 feet. 

 We may distinguish several distinct regions, which, how- 

 ever, are not in every locahty found at the same altitude. 

 The lower one of this region, if we except the sandy low 

 land along the shores, are the mesas and the lower hills. 

 Here the trees are low with fine feathery foliage, numerous 

 species of acacias and allied genera. Next region is the 

 region of the figs. At about 3000 to 4000 feet wild figs 

 (JFiciis Pahneri) become numerous and form a feature of 

 the landscape. At about 4000 feet oaks became very 

 prominent, and we may call this region the region of oaks. 



Above the oak region we enter, in the most elevated 

 sierra, the region of the pines, especially at Sierra La- 

 guna. The pines are spreading, without central or stand- 

 ard trunks, branching low down like our digger pines 

 (Pinus Sahiniana), but otherwise in shape recalling the 

 oaks. 



All the trees in the Cape Region show a spreading 

 form of their crowns, the effort evidently being to pro- 

 tect their stems, roots and the ground from the heat of 

 the sun and its drying out effects. 



There are two other trees which give a great prominence 

 to the landscape. I mean the two palms found here, the 

 species of which have not yet been very critically exam- 

 ined into. The lower canons in the sierra as well as in 

 the lowlands, where cultivation is carried on, are here 

 and there covered with groves of the tall and most beau- 

 tiful fan palm ( Washingtonia SonorcB? ). This palm is 

 not seen above a few thousand feet, and is probably not 

 indigenous. Higher up, at an elevation of 4000 to 6000 

 feet, or in places lower yet, we find everywhere in the 

 gulches and along the streams the blue fan palm ( Erythea 

 armataf ) with stems a hundred or more feet high, with a 

 diameter of frequently only six inches at the height of 



