THE WEST AMERICAN SCIENTIST. 23 



two-leaved variety of Pinus insignis; the cypress, Watson describes as a new species 

 ( Cupressus guadalupensis ), but it is very closely allied to the beautiful Californian 

 C. macocarpa; and the juniper is referred to Juniperus californica. The oak 

 ( Quercus tomentilla, Engelmann ) is endemic, and allied to the common Californian 

 Q. chrysole sis; and the endemic palm (Erythrcea ende is) is represented on the 

 mainland by a second species discovered in the Cantillas canyon, Lower California. 



It is interesting to compare Mr. G-reene's observations on the various elements 

 of the vegetation ten years later than Dr. Palmer, especially in relation to the very 

 rapid disappearance of some of the endemic species and other formerly prominent 

 indigenous ones. Palmer found the cypress in irregular groups in the middle of the 

 island, apparently common enough ; now it is already becoming rarer, and Greene 

 says he cannot guess at the cause of its destruction. It would seem, however, that 

 the existing trees have mostly reached the limit of their age, and the species is dis- 

 appearing because the numerous goats prevent seedlings from growing up and re- 

 placing the older generations. Formerly, Greene supposes, it must have occupied 

 almost the etitire plateau of the northern half of the island; but now upon the 

 greater part of this tract only tho fallen decaying trunks remain. It is a pity so 

 noble a tree should die out. It has the conical-shaped head of C. macrocarpa, as it 

 grows in this country, not as it grows in its home, where its habit is cedar -like, and 

 reaches a height of 50 feet, with a trunk sometimes as much as 2.5 feet in circum- 

 ference. 



The Juniper in Palmer's time was all over the middle of the island and occas- 

 ional at the south end, in the ravines and valleys, forming groves about 15 feet high. 

 Now, we are informed, it is on the verge of extinction — ' in the middle of the island 

 only three trees that were not quite dead ; and on these three only a few tufts of 

 green twigs gave the feeble sign of exhausted vi'ality. Only on a south-eastern 

 cliff, hanging over the sea, did I find a tree vigorous enough to be bearing some 

 well -formed fruit.' 



The pine still exists in groves of considerable extent on the high narrow ridge 

 forming the north-eastern extremity of the island ; but the handsome oak, a spread- 

 ing tree 50 feet high, has dwindled down to about; half-a-dozen individuals; whereas 

 Palmer states that it was frequent at the north end and occasional in the canyons on 

 both sides of the island. Concerning the palm Greene is silent. On the ascent 

 from the narrow beach to the plateau tie most conspcuous plants at the time of 

 his visit were Senecio Palmeri, a handso:ne shrub, 3 or 4 feet high, Sphaeralcea sul- 

 phurea, Hosackia ornithopus, and Convolvulus macrostegius, all endemic species, 

 associated with the Californian Brodiaea capitata, which was also exceedingly com- 

 mon on the tableland itself. 



The very widely spread littoral element alluded to at the Ijegiuning of this sketch 

 is wanting on the shores of Guadalupe ; whether this is wholly due to the nature of 

 the co9,st, or partly due to the direction from which the oceanic currents come that 

 touch^the island, is not clear from the information available. In the Botany of the 

 "Challanyer" Expedition 1 have brougtit together all the trustworthy evidence I 

 could find bearing upon the dispersal of se^ds and plants by oceanic currents, &c., 

 and I have there pointed out that many of the plants thus conveyed are not exclu- 



