THE WEST AMEEICAN SCIENTIST. 57 



Solanum Hindsianum, Ellisia Torreyi, var. Orcuttii, 



Coldenia Palmeri, Delphinium cardinale, 



Encelia farinosa, Lycium sp., 



Achyronychia Cooperi, Abutilon Lemmonii, 



Pentstemon Palmeri, Abutilon Newburyi (?), 



Lyrocarpa Palmeri, Agave Shawii. 



Return to Santa Maria on the 23d, and stay over the 24th and 25th to recruit 

 up. On the 25th we wake up only to find the coyotes have cut the picket ropes and 

 let our horses loo^e, but fortunate y they are found for us late in the afternoon of 

 the next day. 



The 27th of April we leave Santa Maria early, driving on the ocean beach to a 

 place called Socorro, some twelve miles distant, where a small fresh-water lagoon 

 empties into the sea. Thousands of Indians are said to have resided at this place in 

 former years, but noi a vestige remains at the present day. At Socorro we found 

 a few lichens, shells, a young palm tree, and various nice plants of which I will 

 mention Dalea Seemannii, Nemacaulis nuttallii and a variety, ^sculus Parryi, 

 JEuphorbia micromera, drymaria viscosa, n. sp,. Astragalus Hornii, A. Menziesii, a 

 new cotyledon, a hosackia, Biscutella Oalifornica, Oenothera crassifolia, etc. 



The 29tn leave Socoiro, follow the mesa along the ocean beach for nearly twenty 

 miles, and up a long valley without water or trees until we reach a high table land 

 covered with numerous agaves, or maguey plants, as they are called. This entire 

 mesa we found strewn with the dead shells of helix levis and stearnsiana, and occa- 

 sionally a living shell under the agaves. A curious lichen, Eriogonum scalare (just 

 coming into flower), Oenothera cardiophylla and Astragalus Nutta lianus were 

 among the plants of interest which made an appearance during the day's drive. 

 Descending from this mesa we reached the valley where the old mission of Rosario 

 lies in ruins, surrounded by quite a settlement of perhaps a dozen houses. As it 

 was getting late we were obliged to stop at last near the old mission ruins, without 

 getting good feed for the horses; but the next morning we changed camping grounds 

 for a better location where abundant alfilleria was found, though too scattered to be 

 called good feed. 



The bells at the old mission were dated 1738 and 1800 respectively. A little 

 building that formed a part of the former mission contained the Catholic images, 

 banners, pictures, beads, and various other regalia for feast days and other occa- 

 sions. 



May day found me climbing the hills around, gathering the fruit of the mamill- 

 aria cactus, which has a pleasant flavor like tha^ of the wild wood strawberries 

 such as I used to hunt in old Vermont, turning over agave stumps in the vain hope 

 of finding more shells, and picking a supply of such flowers as came in my way. 

 Fouquiera splendens was found with its beautiful crimson flowers, a curious Nem- 

 acladus was discovered in a seemingly precarious situation where it was scarcely 

 obtainable, owing to the steepness of the bank where it grew, and chorizanthe fim- 

 briata, chorizanthe procumbens, chorizanthe Lastarriaea, calandrinia maritima, 

 various krynitzkias an4 a j erityle were found. 



The day was rendered memorable to my companion by his learning how to milk 



